Purdue Fort Wayne
INDIANA
Hoosiers Get Two in Ninth, Top Mastodons, 3-2
3/22/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 22, 2008
Bloomington, IN - IPFW was just two outs from defeating IU on Saturday afternoon at Sembower Field, but the Hoosiers dug deep, scoring two in the 9th inning to top the 'Dons, 3-2.
The game featured a battle between aces Matt Bashore of Indiana (2-2, 1.42 ERA) and Brandon Knowling of IPFW (2-0, 1.56 ERA), and the two starters did not disappoint.
Bashore was cruising along, striking out five Mastodons in the first three innings, but in that 3rd inning, IPFW was able to break through. With two outs in the frame, sophomore shortstop Mark Carden drew a walk. Sophomore designated hitter Scott Micinski singled, it was the Mastodons first hit of the afternoon.
With runners on first and second, senior center fielder Jared Davis drove a ball up the middle. Carden was waived home and scored easily as IU center fielder Andrew Means had trouble making a throw.
Knowling worked out of jams in three of the first four innings. Each time, the Mastodons were able to turn a double-play behind him to keep the score, 1-0 'Dons.
Indiana finally broke through in the bottom of the 6th inning. The Hoosiers used a walk, a hit batsman, and two errors to push a run across.
The game remained tied until the top of the 8th inning. Micinski drew a lead-off walk from Bashore. Davis bunted him to second, and sophomore first baseman Shaun VanDriessche drove him home with an RBI single to center.
Knowling left after seven complete, giving way to junior reliever Stacy Herrold in the eighth. Herrold gave up a walk in the inning, but got IU on three flyballs.
Bashore was done after eight. Reliever Eric Arnett came on to face IPFW in the 9th inning. Second baseman Jimmy Gilliland started off the inning with a single. He advanced to second on a sac bunt from Jason Doerffler.
IPFW catcher Devin Taylor singled to left, and with one out, IPFW had runners on the corners. Unfortunately, the Mastodons couldn't push an insurance run across. In the end they needed it.
IU's designated hitter Tyler Reimer led off the ninth with a single. He was sacrificed to second. After a single and a hit batsman, IU had the bases loaded.
Shortstop Tyler Cox drew a bases loaded walk, tying the game, and Means ended the game with an RBI single through the left side of a drawn in IPFW infield.
Neither starter figured in the decision.
Arnett got the win for IU, his second on the season (2-0).
Sophomore Matt Antos took the loss for the Mastodons. Antos (0-3) pitched just a third of an inning, but was responsible for the winning run.
With the win, the Hoosiers move to 8-7, while the 'Dons fall to 2-12-1.
The finale of the short two-game series will be Easter Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
~Dons~
