Indiana baseball returned to Bloomington looking to parlay the momentum from a 3-0 weekend in Cary, North Carolina into a midweek victory over Xavier. Instead, the Musketeers got the better of the Hoosiers for the second time in 11 days, taking advantage of three Indiana errors, five hit batsmen and two crucial inning-ending double plays en route to an 8-4 victory.
Xavier jumped on Indiana starter Jackson Yarberry with a pair of first-inning home runs, the latter of which was a two-run shot from second baseman Landon Mensik that gave the Musketeers an early 3-0 lead. Indiana first baseman Jake Hanley answered with an RBI double in the bottom of the inning, extending his hitting streak to a team-best eight games.
Indiana had an opportunity to draw even in the bottom of the second after shortstop Cooper Malamazian and catcher TJ Schuyler singled to start the inning, but designated hitter Joey Brenczewski flew out and left fielder Devin Taylor grounded into a double play to quash the threat.
The teams traded scoreless frames until the top of the fifth, when left fielder Carter Hendrickson was hit by a pitch and a two-out error by Malamazian gave way to Xavier first baseman Connor Misch. He reached on a fielder’s choice that allowed Hendrickson to score, giving Xavier a 4-1 lead after one of many Indiana miscues that gave the Musketeers extra RBI opportunities. Four of the visitors’ eight runs were unearned.
The top of Indiana’s lineup responded with back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the fifth. A two-run bomb from Taylor and a solo homer from red-hot center fielder Korbyn Dickerson, his fourth in Indiana’s first eight games, evened the score at four. Indiana had a chance to take the lead with one out and runners on first and third after Hanley’s second double of the afternoon and a single by second baseman Jasen Oliver, but third baseman Josh Pyne grounded into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play, allowing Xavier to escape the fifth on level footing.
The visitors capitalized on Indiana’s missed opportunity, taking the lead for good in the sixth inning. Right-hander Aydan Decker-Petty saw his outing go sour when Oliver committed an error to allow leadoff hitter Clay Burdette to reach base. He moved to second on a wild pitch, one of two on the afternoon for Indiana, and scored on a base knock from catcher Jason Jelic to give his team a 5-4 lead. Decker-Petty walked the next batter on four pitches and plunked Hendrickson to load the bases, hitting the showers after recording just one out.
Southpaw Grant Holderfield limited the Xavier damage to one more run on a sacrifice fly from the dangerous Aedan Anderson which gave the visitors a 6-4 lead. Xavier righty Logan Schmidt retired the side in order after his team regained the lead, keeping momentum out of the Indiana dugout. He did what the Hoosiers couldn’t, seizing the moment and ensuring the work of his bats didn’t go to waste.
Things played out similarly in the bottom of the seventh inning with Xavier still leading 6-4. Taylor singled to begin the frame and Dickerson followed with a 107 mile-per-hour lineout to left field that spelled the end of Schmidt’s outing. Taylor moved up to second base on a passed ball as left-hander Trevor Geddes took the mound with the tying run at the plate.
Right fielder Andrew Wiggins walked on four pitches, meaning the go-ahead run moved into the batter’s box. Although he was 2-for-3 to that point, Xavier finally got the better of Hanley, striking him out in a high-leverage spot. Oliver lined out to center field to end the inning and strand the seventh and eighth baserunners of the afternoon for Indiana.
Xavier stretched its lead to four runs in the eighth inning as the wheels fell off for Jeff Mercer’s Hoosiers. The Musketeers sent eight men to the plate – shortstop Eddie Peters doubled on a ball that Wiggins will likely say he should have caught, advancing to third on a bunt single from Jelic. Third baseman Jake Lambdin sent a ground ball Oliver’s way, providing a 4-6-3 double play opportunity that would keep Indiana within striking distance. It was not to be – Oliver’s throw sailed into left field, allowing Peters to score and both Jelic and Lambdin to advance into scoring position.
Holderfield hit Hendrickson to load the bases and Anderson brought home Xavier’s eighth run of the afternoon with a sacrifice fly. The Indiana reliever settled down and struck out Mensik with the bases loaded, but the four-run deficit proved too much for Indiana. Geddes and righty Luke Hoskins combined to retire eight batters in a row – four via the strikeout – to put the finishing touches on the 8-4 Xavier win.
Indiana is now 3-5 and has little time to prepare for its final non-conference weekend of the season. The Hoosiers head to DeLand, Florida, taking on Mount St. Mary’s and Stetson twice, each, in a four-game slate. The Hoosiers will face the Mountaineers at 1 p.m. Friday and follow the series-opener with tilts against the Hatters at 6:30 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday. They will close the weekend versus Mount St. Mary’s at 11 a.m. Sunday. All games will be broadcast on the IU Sports Radio Network.
