Bradley Trips Up Hoosiers, 6-2
March 6, 2011
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Missed opportunities, poor baserunning and erratic pitching by the Hoosier Baseball team (6-4) all played a role in a 6-2 loss to Bradley (6-4) on Sunday. Indiana's 11-4 advantage in hits wasn't enough to overcome eight walks, a HBP and 12 runners left on base.
Freshman Brian Korte had a fine performance in his first career collegiate start. The North Bend, Ohio, native allowed just three batters to reach base in four innings of shutout pitching.
Indiana had little trouble putting runners aboard, but failed to drive most of them in. Men on the corners in the second inning and a bases-loaded situation in the third both went wasted as IU couldn't muster a run.
Bradley was given a golden opportunity in the bottom half of the fourth, handed three runners with no outs thanks to a pair of walks and a defensive error by the Hoosiers. Brian Korte would have none of it, however, inducing two pop ups and ringing up Derek Sprout to end the inning unscathed.
The Hoosiers offered up the bases juiced once again in the fifth frame, walking three Braves to stuff the base paths. Run number one came free of charge when Indiana tallied the fourth walk of the inning. Bradley's Brad Kimball took care of the rest, sneaking a grand slam inside the left foul pole to put his Braves ahead 5-0.
After another fruitless loaded bases state in the sixth, the Hoosiers broke through for two runs in the eighth inning. Wes Wilson got it started with a single shoved through the left side of the infield. Josh Lyon was up next, and worked a 10-pitch at-bat for a single of his own. Following a fly ball for the first out, DeMuth made it a trifecta of IU singles, pumping the bases full of Hoosiers. A passed ball allowed the first run to cross before Friday's hero, T.C. Knipp, drove in the second tally in his pinch-hit appearance.
Successful pinch hitting continued in the ninth as Matt Serfling smacked a single into center to start a potential rally. Jerrud Sabourin then drew a walk. Two well-struck line drives which were caught and a baserunning blunder clinched the game for Bradley though.
Beginning on Wednesday, the Hoosiers are scheduled to play nine games in 11 days. The busy stretch starts with a midweek game at Indiana State before eight consecutive gamedays during the spring break trip to Winter Haven, Fla.
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