After an offensive explosion resulting in a 13-3 victory for Indiana baseball in just seven innings in Fridays series opener, the Hoosiers showed flashes early and late but couldn’t overcome a big middle stretch from Abilene Christian University on Saturday. After jumping out to an early lead, Indiana fell 8-4 at Bart Kaufman Field after scoring just one run over the final three innings.
The Hoosiers created immediate pressure behind sophomore outfielder Hogan Denny, who reached base and stole second to open a prime scoring opportunity in the first inning. With sophomore first baseman Jake Hanley at the plate and no outs, Indiana looked set to strike first. Instead, Denny was picked off, erasing the threat.
Indiana didn’t let the missed chance linger. The Hoosiers loaded the bases later in the inning, and sophomore outfielder Cole Decker delivered an infield single to push across the game’s first run.
On the mound, sophomore left-hander Brayton Thomas opened sharp, leaning on his fastball-slider combination. But command issues quickly surfaced. After a clean first inning, Thomas walked a batter on a full count and hit the next hitter. Abilene Christian capitalized, lining a single into right field to tie the game at 1-1.
Thomas regrouped with a quick 1-2-3 inning in the third, keeping the game even. Indiana responded in bottom of the inning, as Hanley worked a walk and sophomore shortstop Cooper Malamazian ripped a double into the right field corner to put runners in scoring position. A sacrifice fly followed, giving Indiana a 2-1 lead.
The third inning nearly turned into a breakout moment when redshirt junior outfielder Ayden Crouse sent a deep fly ball to the wall. But it was tracked down just short of a home run, drawing a roar from the crowd.
Momentum shifted in the fourth. Thomas again ran into trouble, issuing a leadoff walk, hitting a batter and allowing a bunt single to load the bases. After recording a strikeout, Abilene Christian broke through with a two-run single to take a 3-2 lead. Another bunt reloaded the bases, and a wild pitch allowed an additional run to score, stretching the lead to 4-2. A walk followed, ending Thomas’ outing.
Thomas finished with 3.1 innings pitched, allowing four earned runs on four hits while walking three and striking out eight. He also hit two batters, with control proving to be the difference.
Indiana turned to redshirt junior right hand pitcher Jacob Vogel in relief, but Abilene Christian extended its lead in the fifth. After a walk, freshman outfielder Brady Ladusau launched a two-run home run to left field, pushing the advantage to 6-2.
The Hoosiers had a chance to answer immediately. Hanley drew his third walk of the game and sophomore outfielder Caleb Koskie followed with a single to right, extending his hitting streak to 20 games. Koskie continues to lead Indiana offensively and now sits one game shy of former Hoosier outfielder Alex Dickerson’s 21-game streak, the most in the program since 2010. Still, Indiana left runners at second and third base, unable to cut into the deficit.
Indiana found life in the sixth when redshirt freshman catcher Brayden Ricketts crushed a no-doubt solo home run to right field, trimming the lead to 6-3 and energizing the crowd.
Freshman right-handed pitcher Ivan Mastalski took over in the seventh and provided stability out of the bullpen. He struck out the first batter he faced before Ladusau struck again, belting his second home run of the game — a solo shot to left — to extend the lead to 7-3.
Mastalski settled in from there, retiring two of the next three hitters to limit further damage. Across 1.2 innings, he allowed two hits and one earned run while striking out two.
Indiana’s pitching staff tightened up late with senior left hander Anthony Gubitosi holding Abilene Christian scoreless over the final out of the eighth and allowing just one run in the ninth, even after the Wildcats loaded the bases.
The Hoosiers’ added a final push of their own in the ninth but it was not enough. Denny added a solo home run in the ninth, his third of the series, but it wasn’t enough to haul the Hoosiers to a late game comeback.
Despite early opportunities and a late spark from Ricketts and Denny, Indiana was ultimately undone by free passes, hit batters and missed chances with runners in scoring position, falling 8-4. The game featured 16 walks and seven hit batsmen as only seven hits from each side resulted in 12 total runs scored.
Indiana and Abilene Christian, now split in the weekend series, will wrap up the weekend with the finale Sunday at noon at Bart Kaufman Field in Bloomington, and will be streamed on B1G+.
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.
