Indiana baseball walks off Iowa 2-0 with Colopy’s home run, Sinnard’s shutout start

Morgan Colopy blacked out for the final 180 ft of his journey across the basepaths, unable to remember spiking his helmet rounding third base. Colopy recalled seeing teammates leaping over the bullpen wall onto the sector, however did not discover his first residence run this season clank off the left-field foul pole — the walk-off hit in Indiana baseball’s 2-0 extra-innings victory over Iowa.  

Saturday marked the Hoosiers’ second walk-off victory this season. Indiana gamers stampeded from the dugout. Some flailed their arms; others leaped. Third-base coach Derek Simmons skipped towards residence plate, tailing simply behind Colopy. Applause and hollers from the well-sized Indiana crowd stuffed Bart Kaufman Discipline.  

Colopy substituted into Saturday’s sport within the eighth inning, when the rating was tied, 0-0. The redshirt junior has solely began in eight of his 24 appearances this yr, whereas not showing in any respect in seven video games. Head coach Jeff Mercer normally enters Colopy late into video games as a defensive substitute. Earlier than Saturday, Colopy had six hits in 36 at-bats. 

Throughout Colopy’s first at-bat of the sport within the eighth, the redshirt junior flew out to centerfield. All through your complete sport, Iowa’s pitching workers incessantly threw sweeping cutters. Mercer instructed his right-handed hitters that they have to appropriately time their swings on fastballs — in the event that they had been early on cutters, that is fantastic, pull the ball and hit a house run.  

“I used to be sick and bored with watching us making an attempt to take breaking balls in the course of the sector,” Mercer stated postgame. “(Colopy) popped the identical pitch as much as centerfield. I instructed him for those who get it once more, homer it. I do not know if he remembers that or not. He obtained the identical pitch, I simply watched the replay, and he homered it.”  

Colopy has not appeared within the beginning lineup since March 16. Mercer stated that does not deter the outfielder from being the primary participant to reach on the batting cages, and from staying late. The general public does not see that. After Indiana’s 5-3 comeback win over Bellarmine March 9, Colopy labored within the batting cages after the sport, regardless of not receiving an at-bat. The subsequent day, March 10, Colopy began and tallied the go-ahead hit within the group’s 9-7 win.  

“You’ll assume he hits third and performs daily the best way that he works and the best way that he exhibits up,” Mercer stated. “I simply have a ton of respect for him, a ton of respect for guys that work like that. I am glad we gained however I am in all probability extra completely happy on a private stage for him with the respect that I’ve for him.”  

As soon as Colopy entered to play proper discipline, Indiana’s beginning right-fielder freshman Devin Taylor shifted over to play left discipline. Within the high of the tenth inning, Iowa junior catcher Cade Moss doubled down the left-field line into the nook. Senior outfielder Brayden Frazier darted across the basepaths, making an attempt to attain from first base. Taylor sprinted to the ball and initiated the proper relay throw that tagged Frazier out on the plate, conserving the sport scoreless.  

Sophomore starters Luke Sinnard for Indiana and Marcus Morgan for Iowa retired the primary 19 batters mixed in Saturday’s pitchers’ duel. Sinnard tossed six shutout innings in his greatest begin of the yr, placing out 12 batters. Simply final weekend, Sinnard was handed his first lack of the season at Penn State. After permitting a two-out double within the sixth inning of Saturday’s sport, Sinnard struck out the final batter of the inning and clenched his forearms, yelling.  

“I got here to a realization that I’ll have gotten somewhat bit snug within the beginning position,” Sinnard stated of Penn State. “I did not go on the market with as a lot fireplace as I wanted to.” 

Indiana left-handed sophomore Ryan Kraft, who’s pitched in high-leverage conditions this season, tossed the ultimate 4 shutout innings. Kraft has allowed simply three runs in 30 innings.  

Following Colopy’s walk-off residence run, Indiana evened the three-game residence collection 1-1. The Hoosiers have gained their previous 4 consecutive collection, and can look to increase that streak to 5 in Sunday’s rubber match. Proper-handed junior Seti Manase may be anticipated to start out.  

Observe reporters Matthew Byrne (.@MatthewByrne1) and Nick Rodecap (.@nickrodecap) for updates all through the Indiana baseball season.