More efficient RedHawks drop Indiana in midweek contest
April 26, 2011
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana Baseball's five-game homestand finale was spoiled by the Miami (OH) RedHawks (23-18) when they scored nine unanswered runs to defeat the Hoosiers, 10-3, on Tuesday. Alex Dickerson did, however, extend his hitting streak to 11 games, the longest run for a Hoosier during the 2011 season.
Both squads placed 16 runners on the base paths, but Miami did more with the output. While IU (25-16) was 1-for-12 from the plate with runners in scoring position, the RedHawks connected for five hits in 10 such at-bats.
As Drew Leininger retired the first six batters and allowed just an unearned run in the third, the Hoosiers jumped out to a 3-1 lead. Dating back to Leininger's start last Wednesday versus Morehead State, the lefty retired 24 consecutive batters (12 via strikeout).
Fifth-year senior Brian Lambert led off the bottom of the third with a hard-struck worm burner up the middle, bouncing over the mound and finding safety in center field. Dustin DeMuth then laid down a bunt and burned down the first base line for his 14th infield hit of the season. The next batter was plunked to set up Dickerson with a bases-loaded, no-outs situation. Things were evened up a one run apiece after Dickerson was quasi-intentionally walked as he didn't see a pitch anywhere near the strike zone. Indiana took the lead seconds later on Wes Wilson's sacrifice fly, scoring a tagging DeMuth. Jerrud Sabourin kept it coming, slapping a two-strike single into shallow left for the 3-1 lead. Sabourin's RBI-single chased Miami starting pitcher Alex Brown out of the game after just two and third innings. Brown entered the game with a 0.86 ERA in 20-plus innings pitched.
The RedHawks response was immediate and plentiful. Miami posted three consecutive crooked numbers on the scoreboard (3-2-3) to surge ahead 9-3. They were then able to tack on one more in the eighth to finalize the 10-3 score.
IU reliever Eric Kartman was a bright spot for the Cream and Crimson, working the mound for 1.2 shutout innings.
Head Coach Tracy Smith's Hoosiers now turn their focus back to Big Ten action. Entering a weekend road series against the Purdue Boilermakers (27-13, 7-5), Indiana (25-16, 6-6) is just a game back from a three-way atop the conference standings.
