Indiana baseball set the tone of Thursday’s Big Ten Tournament matchup against Ohio State early.
The Hoosiers made clear the contest would be a slugfest, with five runs in the second inning. Ohio State fought back and tied it up, making Indiana work for it. But IU wasn’t fazed and ran away with a 14-7 victory at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha.
This is the first time since 2014 IU has won its first two games in the Big Ten Tournament. And Indiana’s 14 runs tied a program record for its most in a Big Ten Tournament game.
Indiana (32-22-1) needed some good results in Omaha to strengthen its case for an NCAA Tournament bid, and this lopsided win will only help that cause. Ohio State (29-25) may not be a major needle-mover on IU’s résumé, but the result also provides the Hoosiers more opportunities for wins that could prove to be even bigger difference-makers.
The Hoosiers feasted on Ohio State pitching all game long. All nine players in IU’s lineup recorded at least one hit, with four enjoying multi-hit games. Only one IU starter finished the game without an RBI.
Junior center fielder Carter Mathison led the way with a 3-for-5 day, with two RBIs and two runs scored. Indiana racked up 14 hits as a team, but only one was a home run, by sophomore first team All-Big Ten selection Devin Taylor. The team hit five doubles, and all drove in runs.
Ohio State made things tougher for itself on several occasions, with four errors, including two costly miscues in the fifth inning. The Hoosiers scored two runs thanks to those plays, regaining a 7-5 lead that they never relinquished.
Sophomore starter Connor Foley pitched four innings for IU, allowing five runs — only one earned — on three hits and three walks with five strikeouts. The Buckeyes scored four runs off Foley in the third inning without collecting their first hit of the game, because of two walks, a hit batsman, an error, and a balk. OSU picked up its first hit in the fourth inning, when it tied the game 5-5.
IU’s pitchers struggled to avoid walks — sophomore Aydan Decker-Petty allowed six in his three innings of relief, and sophomore Brayden Risedorph gave up four in the final two innings. But the relievers allowed just one run each, working out of several jams to keep IU ahead.
The Buckeyes now face Nebraska in an elimination game on Friday, and the Hoosiers take on the winner on Saturday.
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