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(04/10/02 5:08am)
It may not have been pretty at times, but a win is a win.\nIU survived multiple rallies by Miami University (Ohio) and used its own late inning heroics to come away with a hard-fought 10-7 victory Tuesday.\nWith the win, the Hoosiers improved to 24-6.\nAt first, things did not look good for the Hoosiers, when after the first two pitches of the game, the RedHawks already had two runners aboard. But freshman pitcher Matt Ousley buckled down and only allowed one run in the first. \nThe Hoosiers refused to be outdone in the inning. First baseman Gibran Hamdan's two-run single highlighted a three-run inning.\nMiami, however, did not roll over and die, and soon the game became a seesaw battle.\nThe RedHawks lit the scoreboard up for four runs in the fourth to recapture the lead, 5-4. But the Hoosiers answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning to regain the lead.\nIU suffered a scare when junior Vasili Spanos left the game after hurting his arm while making a tough throw from deep in the hole at third base. \nBut head coach Bob Morgan has many options on his bench this year, and one of those options came through for him. Senior Mark Minor knocked in a key run as Spanos' replacement in the sixth to keep IU one run ahead of the RedHawks.\n"(Spanos) goes out of the lineup, and that takes a big cog out of the wheel," Morgan said.\nWhen Spanos left the game, a huge void needed to be filled, but Hamdan and the other IU batters knew that everyone would step up to the plate.\n"A lot of guys came through with hits for us today," Hamdan said. "That's been the story for us all season. It's not the starting nine that makes a team strong; it's the guys you have behind them."\nIU could not put Miami away for good though, and the RedHawks knotted the game at seven in the eighth inning.\nThen, as he as done numerous times this season, Hamdan came through in the clutch for the Hoosiers. He drove in the winning run in the eighth, and the Hoosiers added two more insurance runs to put the game out of reach.\n"We came up big in the eighth with some key hits," Morgan said. "We were just fortunate to get the win. We have to play small ball a little better as far as our bunts and moving people over." \nHamdan finished the day batting a perfect 4-for-4 and had three RBIs.\nSenior Eric Blakeley also contributed four hits and three RBIs, including a two-run blast, his sixth home run of the year.\n"Anyone we put in there will step up and do a good job for us," Blakeley said. "Last year we lost a lot of one-run games, but this year we've won a few one-run games. And that just helps with our confidence to come from behind"
(01/31/01 4:00am)
At every indoor track meet, it seems either junior Dino Efthimiou or classmate Ian Curry wins the pole vault for the Hoosiers.\nEfthimiou has the edge on his teammate after finishing third in the Big Ten Outdoor Championships last year.\nBut Curry is nipping at his heels.\nAnd both could earn a spot in this year's NCAA championships.\nCoach Marshall Goss said he observed a great work ethic and potential in Curry, a product of Bloomington High School South.\n"Ian has exhibited flashes of great potential throughout his career," Goss said. "As he refines his technique, we will be expecting a more consistent performance from him."\nCurry finished in the top three in the six indoor meets in which he participated last season, and said he hopes to build on this success. He said his past performances are not up to Goss' or his own expectations.\n"I feel better about my jumping this year, and now, if I get a couple things worked out, I'll be at the height I want to go at," Curry said. "I might be progressing at a slower rate, but I think I can get my heights up with a little more work, and my height will pay off in that respect."\nFriday, Curry exploded past his career best, but would have surpassed it by even more if he had not tried to qualify for the NCAA Championships on his final jump. Curry came up short on his leap, but Goss said he was excited Curry wanted to try the new height. Starting Thursday, Curry will rely on a new pole to help him attain that height and qualify for the NCAAs. \n"The shorter pole should help me get upside-down and actually jump higher even though it's shorter," Curry said. "This should help me get where I'm supposed to be, which is 17 (feet) plus. \n"My first jump was pretty close last week, and I thought I had a good chance of going over. I know I can get that height at the next meet or two because I hit 17-plus last season."\nGoss is not the only person who has noticed Curry's determination. Efthimiou, a close friend, has enjoyed more success in the past, already reaching the provisional height for the NCAA Championships. But Efthimiou said he's glad Curry is a teammate instead of an opponent.\n"Since last year, he's corrected a lot of things he needs to do to jump higher," Efthimiou said. "He's so close to be being very good and jump high 17s to 18 (feet). There's no reason why we both shouldn't go to (the NCAA Championships). We're the two oldest guys on the pole vaulting squad. We help out the younger guys, and the younger guys help us out, too."\nBut Curry said he knows it will take more than a new pole to join Efthimiou as the Hoosiers' one-two punch at the NCAA meet.\n"For this year, I'd like to place high in the Big Ten (Championships) and get a national qualification. But I know that I'll go to Nationals while I'm here," Curry said. "I know it's going to take a lot of hard work to get my heights up, because most of what I have accomplished has been from hard work rather than natural ability"
(01/12/01 5:41am)
The men's track team hopes to defeat defending Big Ten champion Wisconsin during this year's indoor season, but first it must challenge rival Michigan in its first meet at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in Ann Arbor, Mich.\nMichigan took first in five events during last week's unscored Jack Harvey Invitational. The Wolverines already have a meet under their belts, but coach Marshall Goss said his team is ready.\nIn the last 11 seasons, IU has topped Michigan five times in Big Ten championship competition, while Michigan has beaten IU four times. The squads tied in 1996 and 2000.\n"The contest between IU and Michigan has historically been one of great competition," Goss said. "Our victory under similar conditions last year was a close battle, and I expect this year to be the same. We're going into the meet in the position that we could win every event or lose every event, but we won't lose every event."\nIn the past, Michigan has beaten IU in distance events, but this year's team appears to have a chance.\nThe cross country team took 17th in the NCAA Championships last fall and beat Michigan along. Five cross country runners will try to convert to the individual style race to stop Michigan's domination of the distance races.\nJunior Kevin Chandler and sophomore Jeff Zeha will participate in the 800-meter run and will join sophomore Nathan Purcell in the mile. Freshmen Chris Powers and Chad Andrews will team with Purcell in the 3,000-meter run.\n"Michigan completely dominated us last year, taking the top four in all the distance events," Powers said. "This year it will be different because we're looking to be a top team in the Big Ten, and I'm really pumped about this season and how it will lead into a good outdoor season."\nThe Hoosiers hope to rely on current school record holders, juniors Josh Ellis and Ryan Huber and sophomore Mike Minton, to rack up points. \nAs captain and All-America candidate, Huber said he feels positive about his upcoming performance and his teammates' attitudes.\n"Practices have been a lot harder this year, so I feel like I'm in better shape even though I haven't been in any competitions," Huber said. "The first meet isn't that important because it's still early in the season, but it's good to work out all the kinks. We should be much better than last year because a lot of guys have worked harder and dedicated themselves to improving."\nWith 33 returnees from the 59-member roster and 11 returning conference point scorers from the 2000 Big Ten Championships, lack of experience should not be a problem when facing Michigan. But jumping from sixth place in the conference to catch the reigning indoor and outdoor champion Badgers will take extra effort from everyone on the team. \n"We're two guys from being back on top," Goss said. "We have a couple of guys who will help us a lot, but just need to start believing in themselves"