Indiana baseball split Saturday’s doubleheader against Western Kentucky University at Nick Denes Field in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The Hoosiers bounced back from Friday’s 4-1 loss with a 3-1 win in the first game before falling 14-12 in a high-scoring second contest.
After struggling to generate offense in Friday’s opener, Indiana relied on its pitching and a few timely hits to secure the first game of the twin bill.
Sophomore left-handed pitcher Brayton Thomas started the first game Saturday for the Hoosiers. He pitched 4.2 innings, allowing two hits and one earned run while striking out four batters.
Indiana struck first in the second inning. Sophomore outfielder Hogan Denny singled, stole second and advanced to third on a base hit from sophomore first baseman Jake Hanley before sophomore shortstop Cooper Malamazian drove him in on an RBI fielder’s choice.
Thomas’ only run allowed came in the fifth inning on a solo home run from Western Kentucky junior outfielder Hayden Robbins that tied the game at 1-1.
Thomas allowed a home run in the fifth inning and a throwing error by Indiana freshman second baseman Landen Fry extended the inning, inevitably ending Thomas’ dominant night on the mound. After Thomas exited, graduate student right-hand pitcher Gavin Seebold took the mound.
Despite early-season struggles from Indiana’s bullpen, Seebold has emerged as a steady presence at the top of the Hoosiers’ relief corps, allowing no runs across 11.2 innings this season, including his 3.1 scoreless innings in Saturday’s Game 1 win.
The right-hand pitcher allowed just two hits and struck out three batters en route to his first win of the season.
The Hoosiers rewarded Seebold’s effort in the top of the eighth inning, when the offense finally broke through.
Sophomore outfielder Caleb Koskie led off the frame with a single before sophomore outfielder Cole Decker followed with a base hit to put runners on the corners.
Redshirt junior outfielder Ayden Crouse then delivered on a sacrifice fly to center field, bringing home Koskie and giving Indiana a 2-1 lead.
Sophomore infielder Will Moore followed with a sacrifice bunt to move Decker into scoring position before redshirt-freshman designated hitter Brayden Ricketts lined an RBI single to center field to extend the advantage to 3-1.
Junior right-handed pitcher Jackson Yarberry closed the door in the ninth inning, retiring the side to secure the win for Indiana in Game 1 of the doubleheader.
Unlike the first game, pitching in the second game did not dominate.
Game 2 turned into an offensive shootout, with both teams trading big innings until a 14-12 Western Kentucky victory.
The Hilltoppers erupted for four runs in the first inning and added another in the second to build a 5-0 cushion. Western Kentucky senior first baseman Kyle Hayes delivered an RBI double to start the scoring, and the Hilltoppers followed with three run-scoring singles to seize immediate control.
The Hilltoppers stacked four more run-scoring innings, scoring 12 runs before the sixth inning began.
The Hoosiers began their scoring in the third inning, when junior catcher T.J. Schuyler came home on a wild pitch to put Indiana on the board.
Denny ignited the response in the fourth inning with a solo home run to left field, cutting into the deficit. The momentum continued moments later with Koskie ripping a two-RBI double down the left-field line, later scoring on a groundout from Crouse to trim the gap to 7-5.
Western Kentucky responded immediately in the bottom of the fourth inning, plating three runs to regain control and push the lead back to 10-5.
Koskie delivered again in the fifth, adding to his scorching day at the plate. With two outs, he lined a two-RBI single up the middle to score Fry and Hanley, briefly swinging momentum back toward Indiana as the Hoosiers refused to let Western Kentucky pull away, cutting the lead to 10-7.
Western Kentucky responded immediately in the bottom half, plating two more runs to regain control and push the lead to 12-7. The Hilltoppers scored once on a throwing error and added one more on timely contact.
Indiana answered again in the sixth. Hanley crushed a two-run home run, trimming the deficit and pulling the Hoosiers within two runs in the late innings.
With the offense burning hot and momentum swinging throughout the night, Indiana remained within striking distance, hoping one more surge at the plate would complete the comeback.
It never came.
Western Kentucky added two more runs in the seventh inning, creating just enough separation to withstand Indiana’s final push. Even after the Hoosiers plated two runs in the eighth, they were unable to fully close the gap, falling 14-12.
Indiana and Western Kentucky play the final game of the four-game series at 2 p.m. Sunday in Bowling Green.
Follow reporters Elakai Anela (@elakai_anela and eanela@iu.edu) and Will Kwiatkowski (@WKwiatkowski_15 and wdkwiatk@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana baseball season.
