Indiana baseball recorded a 17-12 win over Indiana State University on Tuesday in Terre Haute. The Sycamores jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning, but the Hoosiers flipped the game over the final eight frames.
After a walk and a single to open the bottom of the first, the Sycamores broke the game open with back-to-back home runs. A three-run home run from junior first baseman Caden Miller was followed by a solo home run from senior infielder Nick Sutherlin to push its lead to four. After a strikeout, senior infielder Caleb Niehaus added a home run of his own, extending the lead to 5-0 before Indiana could settle in.
The early deficit could have buried the Hoosiers.
Instead, Indiana responded immediately in the second inning, and the offensive explosion did not stop.
Sophomore shortstop Cooper Malamazian started the comeback with a solo home run in the second inning. Moments later, sophomore infielder Will Moore launched a two-run home run which cut the deficit to 5-3.
The Hoosiers continued to chip away in the third.
Sophomore outfielder Cole Decker added a solo home run, bringing Indiana within one score.
Indiana completed the turnaround in the fourth inning. Redshirt junior outfielder Ayden Crouse and sophomore outfielder Caleb Koskie each hit solo home runs, flipping a 5-0 deficit into a 7-5 lead. Still, Indiana’s bats were not done.
After the home runs, the Hoosiers kept the pressure on. Redshirt freshman catcher Brayden Ricketts and Decker followed with singles to extend the inning. After Moore was walked to load the bases, freshman catcher Owen ten Oever delivered a two-RBI single up the middle. An Indiana State throwing error in the outfield allowed Moore to score, capping a five-run inning that gave Indiana a 9-5 lead.
Indiana continued to build on its advantage, adding three runs in the fifth inning and three more in the sixth to stretch the lead to 15-5, completing a dominant stretch of 15 unanswered runs.
Indiana State put together a response of its own beginning in the sixth inning.
The Sycamores scored four runs in the sixth inning and added a run in each of the seventh, eighth and ninth innings. Despite the late push, it wasn’t enough to match Indiana’s offensive explosion.
The Hoosiers answered again in the seventh, continuing their stretch of scoring in each inning after the scoreless first frame.
Indiana added one more in the eighth. Malamazian led off with a triple and later scored on an RBI double from junior catcher T.J. Schuyler, pushing the lead to 17-10.
Indiana State responded in the bottom half, scoring once on an RBI single from senior outfielder Emil Estrella to cut the deficit to 17-11. With runners on and momentum building, redshirt junior right-hander Jacob Vogel worked out of the jam with a strikeout to strand three runners and keep Indiana in control.
The Sycamores added one more run in the ninth to make it 17-12, but the Hoosiers closed the contest to secure the victory.
The Hoosiers finished 21 for 45 (.467) at the plate and were especially effective in key moments, going 7 for 15 (.467) with two outs.
Indiana now returns home for another midweek matchup at 6 p.m. Wednesday night against the University of Evansville at Bart Kaufman Stadium in Bloomington.
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.
