Indiana sophomore infielder Josh Pyne watched an outside-corner strike curve past home plate, pushing the count to full — three balls and two strikes. Pyne exited the right-handed batter's box, adjusted his helmet and re-entered to copy his routine.
First, tap home with the bat. Second, hold the bat waist level with the left hand — the barrel angled upward. Third, twirl the bat onto the right shoulder. But, on this next pitch, drill a ground-rule double down the line.
Senior infielder Phillip Glasser and junior outfielder Bobby Whalen trotted into score, Indiana baseball's first runs of Tuesday's 13-2 victory over Butler University. Pyne's double was one of five straight hits to lead off the game. By the end of the first inning, Indiana already led 4-0.
Whalen's double, batting one spot ahead of Pyne in the lineup, had stirred Indiana's machine-like offense. Whalen scored via Pyne's double, who likewise reached second base — a sequence that repeated for the following two batters.
Indiana tallied four extra-base hits in the first inning Tuesday. The Hoosiers had two extra-base hits during their three-game series at the University of Texas this past weekend.
"It was really nice to see," Indiana head coach Jeff Mercer said postgame. "I took a deep breath early on. It was like bang, that's the offense we're all accustomed to."
Indiana, improving to 4-4 with Tuesday's victory, compiled nine extra-base hits against Butler. In the seven games prior, the Hoosiers recorded 14 extra-base hits combined.
"I feel good about where we are offensively," Mercer said. "We're going to hit. I don't worry about that. But it's the first two or three weeks, and you're still finding the lineup, guys are starting to find their stride a little bit. It was a good day."
As Carter Mathison strolled to the plate in the fifth inning, he had already slugged two doubles and one triple. Yet, even as the sophomore outfielder flirted with hitting for the cycle — single, double, triple and homerun — Mathison said that never crept into his mind. The last Indiana player to hit for the cycle was Josh Phegley in 2008.
After getting hit by a pitch around the ankle in that fifth-inning at-bat, Mercer took Mathison out of the game. Mathison accounted for three of Indiana's nine extra-base hits.
"I kind of thought 'Hey, that's probably enough for tonight,'" Mercer said. “The guy's got three hits and quick turnaround, three flights in a row — wanted to give those guys a bit of a breather."
Yet on the mound, Mercer elected to keep the pitching staff busy. Nine pitchers tossed in Tuesday's game, combining for 16 strikeouts. Left-hander Ty Bothwell started and hurled just one inning. Due to Indiana’s first-inning lead, the senior was credited with the victory. Butler finished with five hits, compared to Indiana's 13.
"It's a main thing of us get on teams early, put them away early," Mathison said. "We try to say once one guy gets a hit, keep it rolling. Just pass it on to the next."
Next up for Indiana is the Keith LeClair Classic at East Carolina University this weekend. The Hoosiers will play No. 9 East Carolina on Friday, Georgetown University on Saturday and California State University, Long Beach, on Sunday.
Follow reporters Matthew Byrne (.@MatthewByrne1) and Nick Rodecap (.@nickrodecap) for updates throughout the Indiana baseball season.
