Indiana baseball flipped the script Tuesday night.
After struggling to get going early in their weekend series against Iowa, the Hoosiers jumped out in front and never trailed in a 10-6 win over the University of Louisville on Tuesday at Jim Patterson Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky.
Indiana wasted no time setting the tone.
The Hoosiers scored in each of the first three innings, building a 7-0 lead and reversing a weekend trend that consistently put them behind early.
Sophomore shortstop Cooper Malamazian opened the scoring with an RBI double in the first inning, bringing home sophomore first baseman Jake Hanley for a 1-0 lead. After reaching on a Louisville error, sophomore infielder Will Moore came around to score on a sacrifice fly from sophomore outfielder Hogan Denny, extending the lead to 2-0 in the second inning.
The third inning broke the game open.
The Hoosiers sent nine batters to the plate and scored five runs on six consecutive hits. Sophomore outfielder Cole Decker delivered a two-run double down the right field line, and freshman infielder Landen Fry followed with a two-run single to push the lead further. Indiana continued to apply pressure with aggressive base running and capitalized on a wild pitch to take a 7-0 advantage.
The early outburst marked a clear shift from the weekend, when Indiana struggled to generate offense and was forced to play from behind.
Graduate left-hander Conner Linn supported that start on the mound.
Linn worked five scoreless innings, allowing four hits, walking three and striking out two. He navigated traffic throughout his outing and prevented Louisville from gaining any momentum.
However, Louisville began to chip away in the sixth inning.
A solo home run cut the lead to 7-1, and the Cardinals continued to apply pressure in the seventh, using two sacrifice flies to bring the score to 7-3.
Indiana responded. Hanley added a solo home run in the eighth inning. The Hoosiers also came through in key situations, delivering timely hits with two outs and converting most of their chances with runners on third.
Louisville made one final push in the eighth inning.
The Cardinals scored three runs, highlighted by a triple from junior outfielder Lucas Moore, which cut the deficit to 10-6 and brought the tying run into the on-deck circle. The Hoosiers’ bullpen stabilized in the ninth inning, closing out the game and preventing further damage.
The difference from the previous series was clear.
After being limited to eight total runs against Iowa, Indiana produced 10 runs on 11 hits and hit .306 as a team. The Hoosiers were effective when it mattered the most, batting .333 with runners in scoring position and .273 with two outs.
Seven different Indiana players recorded hits, with seven driving in runs.
The performance marked a return to the offensive approach that fueled Indiana earlier in April, with the Hoosiers scoring just over eight runs per game across the month.
After a weekend defined by early deficits and missed opportunities, Indiana established control from the start and maintained it throughout the game.
Following the Tuesday afternoon win over the Cardinals, Indiana finished the season 9-2 in midweek games.
Indiana now has three Big Ten series remaining on its regular season schedule. The Hoosiers will look to build on their midweek win when they face Northwestern at 8 p.m. EST Friday at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
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.
