Indiana walks it off against Illinois for crucial series-opening win – The Hoosier Network

After seeing its lead evaporate, Indiana baseball hit its first walk-off of the season courtesy of Massive Ten Freshman of the Week Josh Pyne to fend off the Illinois Combating Illini 7-6 in a recreation the place IU led 4-0.

Early was the important thing phrase on this recreation. Indiana received out of two bases loaded jams within the first two innings, and adopted them each up with two runs in every of the primary two innings to guide 4-0. The sport was initially scheduled for 7 p.m., however with inclement climate on the horizon, first pitch was pushed as much as midday ET.

Hunter Jessee knocked in Bobby Whalen in every of the primary two innings. Whalen would come round once more to attain his third and the profitable run within the ninth as Pyne delivered his first profession walk-off hit — a single down the left subject line — to ship the gang residence comfortable.

Jack Perkins was one out away from one other high quality begin, ending with 5 ⅔ innings pitched, two earned runs, and a whopping 128 pitches.

The center of the sport noticed 5 straight half-innings the place every crew scored a run as Indiana’s lead went forwards and backwards from 4 to 3 earlier than Illinois tied it up. The Hoosier bats stored making use of strain on Cole Kirschsieper, who head coach Jeff Mercer dubbed “probably the greatest pitchers within the league.”

Protection was a giant storyline in Friday’s recreation. Each groups made some unimaginable diving performs within the outfield, however the huge turning level was Max Johnson’s error to start the eighth inning. The freshman has seen quite a lot of enjoying time up to now two weeks since Phillip Glasser’s hand damage, and though he has made probably the most of it, one mistake allowed the Illini to tie the sport at six with three unearned runs. Johnson additionally tried to stroll it off himself by scoring on a wild pitch within the ninth, however an unfortunate ricochet made him useless to rights.

Fortunately for Johnson, Pyne bailed him out by bouncing a single contained in the third final analysis for the victory. When requested concerning the walk-off, Pyne acknowledged that he was certainly excited about being within the spot, given he was due up fourth within the order. When the primary three baserunners reached, it was Pyne’s time to shine.

Say what you need about this crew over the course of this rollercoaster experience, however there may be an apparent fixed: Scoring runs late, whatever the rating.

Mercer talked about how the angle of the crew has been the “constant theme of the previous couple weeks.” They’ve been in a position to overcome accidents, brutal losses determined within the late video games, and the hurdle of getting quite a lot of new faces on the crew.

“The file comes and goes, however an angle is endlessly,” Mercer mentioned. “They’ve an angle, and I like it.”

Indiana will look to duplicate what it did final week towards Nebraska: win the sequence on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for two p.m., with Bradley Brehmer taking the bump for Indiana.

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