by Carl James • @jovian34 • Feb 16
Hoosier bats silenced for 8 innings in first loss of the season
Indiana Baseball struggled with the bat and the glove in a 6-3 loss in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader at Memphis. In his Hoosier debut, Tanner Gordon only gave up 1 run in 4 innings of work but took the loss as the Hoosier’s scoring didn’t come until a three-run home run from Cole Barr with two outs in the top of the ninth inning.
The Tigers’ Alex Hicks had the Hoosiers completely off balance in 5 innings of shut-out work. After facing a first inning jam, Hicks went on to dominate by striking out 8 Hoosiers and walking only one. Tiger reliever Danny Denz was also dominate until time came to get the last out of the game.
This contest was the apparent opposite of the first for the Hoosier offense. Hoosier hits were spread out among the lineup with only Logan Kaletha having a multi-hit game. Matt Gorski and Matt Lloyd, who lead the Hoosiers in game-1, both went hit-less in game-2. The scoring in game-1 came from multiple timely singles and doubles. The scoring in game-2 came from a single home-run (Barr’s was the first of the season for a Hoosier).
The Hoosier bullpen was mixed with Grant Sloan, Braydon Tucker, and Alex Franklin giving up no earned runs in 4 innings. However mixed in there was Andrew Saalfrank’s three batter outing resulting in no outs and two runs. Tucker did give up a 3-run double after the 7th inning should have ended on a ground ball error by Matt Lloyd at first base.
The double header split sets up a Sunday rubber match back at FedExPark in Memphis at 2pm Eastern. Lefty sophomore Tommy Sommer will get the ball for the Hoosiers. Indiana will look for its offense to rebound from this loss and take the series.