The IU baseball team's attempt to advance further in a historic season came down to the right arm of a closer having a record-setting season.
Ryan Halstead came in a little earlier than usual, but got the job done Sunday at Bart Kaufman Field.
Halstead struck out Matt Wollenzin with the bases loaded in the top of the sixth to preserve the Hoosiers' three-run lead in IU's 6-1 win over Austin Peay that clinched the Bloomington regional championship.
The Hoosiers (45-14) will take on the Seminoles in a best-of-three series next weekend in the super regional in Tallahassee, Fla., for a spot in the College World Series.
Halstead worked the final 3.1 innings, striking out two in the ninth before Dylan Riner ended it with a foul-out down the left-field line that Dustin DeMuth tracked down and caught basket-style near the left-field clubhouse.
It was a huge play on defense in the top of the second second that kept the Governors' offense at bay and prevented them from tying the game.
With one out at runners on first and second, P.J. Torres hit a ball to deep center field that senior center fielder Justin Cureton made a sensational catch on to rob Torress of a 3-run homer. Cureton scaled the wall and brought the ball back from beyond the fence, and then got it back quickly into the infield.
The relay throw went to second but Reed Harper, who walked with one out, got back in time. Second baseman Chad Clark then saw Cody Hudson straying too far off first and fired over to Sam Travis to complete the 8-4-3 double play and end the inning.
IU jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first on a solo shot to right by Kyle Scwarber, and RBI singles by Michael Basil and Casey Smith.
