The challenge just got more difficult in Omaha.
Big Ten regular season champion and No. 1 seed Indiana lost to Iowa on Wednesday evening by a final score of 4-2 at TD Ameritrade Park.
The Hoosiers met a familiar foe in Iowa’s Cole McDonald, and once again, IU struggled at the plate.
Indiana put up just two runs in seven innings while striking out 11 times against McDonald back in March at Bloomington in a game that IU still managed to win.
Hoosier hitters found it even more difficult to solve McDonald this time at the expansive host ballpark of the league’s tournament. The Hawkeye ace went eight innings, giving up just five hits and one earned run while striking out nine.
Hoosier starter Pauly Milto matched McDonald through six innings, and IU actually carried a 1-0 lead into the seventh.
That’s when Iowa finally broke through for three runs in the top half of the inning. That was more than enough support for McDonald. IU managed to put up a minor threat in the bottom of the ninth and scored a run to set the final margin at 4-2.
Drew Ashley had two hits on the night, while Matt Gorski and Cole Barr each drove in a run.
Milto went 6.2 innings, giving up seven hits and three earned runs while striking out three.
Indiana (36-20) will face the loser of Nebraska and Minnesota at 2:00 p.m. Eastern on Thursday. That game will be shown on BTN.
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