The Hoosiers’ game on Wednesday, their second straight mid-week contest, started much like the first one did — with an early deficit.
The Evansville Purple Aces jumped out to a 2-run lead in the top of the first Tuesday, but IU was able to bounce back with three runs in the bottom of the second inning before eventually winning, 6-3.
Wednesday’s matchup against the Indiana State Sycamores didn’t pan out the same.
The Sycamores took a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first against Hoosier freshman pitcher Andrew Saalfrank, and it appeared as if the Hoosiers would keep up after they scored a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning.
But thanks to a sacrifice bunt, a sacrifice fly and two RBI singles, ISU scored four additional runs in the second inning to bolster a lead it would never surrender. The Sycamores finished off the Hoosiers, 7-3, to end IU’s five-game winning streak and dropits overall record to 14-9-1.
“We just couldn’t get it,” IU Coach Chris Lemonis said. “We played so sloppy early, and it just kind of affected the whole game.”
After extraordinary batting in the Northwestern series when IU posted a total of 29 runs, IU fended off Evansville with seven hits, but wasn’t able to ward off Indiana State with six Wednesday.
After a solo home run from senior outfielder Craig Dedelow in the first inning and a second-inning single from junior outfielder Logan Sowers, the Hoosiers went four consecutive innings without a hit. In that time, the Sycamores stretched their lead to 7-1 by the seventh inning.
By the time IU collected its third hit of the night, it had already exhausted three pitchers, all of whom surrendered runs. ISU senior starter Ryan Keaffaber surrendered the first two hits and totaled four innings of work, and junior pitcher Ethan Larrison pitched the next 3.1 innings while allowing just one hit and no runs.
“It just wasn’t our night,” Lemonis said. “We’ve been swinging it well. I don’t think that’ll go away, that feeling for our hitters. We faced a couple good arms.”
In the last third of the game, the Hoosiers were able to make a bit more contact. Sophomore infielder Luke Miller hit a single in the seventh, senior outfielder Alex Krupa hit a double in the eighth and in the bottom of the ninth, Miller hit a 2-run home run to left field.
But it wasn't enough for the Hoosiers, and only five of the 13 batters that had an at-bat recorded a hit.
“You always have one of these games,” Dedelow said. “The park was kind of playing to the defense and they were making plays. Can’t really say anything other than that.”
