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Indiana took home a 5-4 win over Northwestern on Friday night, starting their Big Ten schedule 1-0.
Jack Perkins got the starting nod. He was met with early trouble in the first inning but was able to work his way out stranding two runners and keeping the Wildcats off the board.
Indiana was able to threaten in the first as well, but Josh Pyne would strike out with the bases loaded. Northwestern's Sean Sullivan was able to shut Indiana down, and that would continue well past the first frame.
Through the next two innings, either team would only record one hit, that team would be Northwestern. Sean Sullivan would sit down eight Hoosiers in a row, keeping Indiana off the board until the 7th inning.
Perkins would see much of the same fortune. He would walk two and hit two, but other than that wouldn't give up much to Northwestern. It wasn't until the fifth inning that Northwestern would strike for the first time. That frame started with back-to-back hit batters and which would be followed by a single that would load the bases.
That's when Perkins would start to find it, but it would be too late to get out scotch free. Perkins would get an out on a fielder's choice that would score a run, and then walk a runner with the bases loaded scoring the second, giving Northwestern a 2-0 lead. He would then get two consecutive outs ending the inning and limiting the Northwestern damage to only two runs.
The seventh inning was when the Indiana bats came alive. Sean Sullivan exited after six innings of work. He allowed only three hits and recorded 11 strikeouts, not allowing a run.
His exit was a welcome sight for Hoosier batters, and they took full advantage. Hunter Jessee began the inning with a single. Tyler Doanes followed that with a ground ball to third that looked like it could have turned into a double play, but Northwestern didn't take the chance, getting the sure out at first, keeping Indiana's hopes alive.
Tyler Doanes would then walk, putting Indiana baserunners at first and second with one out. Phillip Glasser's opposite-field double down the line would score Jessee and Doanes, tying the game 2-2.
With Glasser at second, Bobby Whalen singled up the middle, scoring Glasser and taking a 3-2 lead. Indiana would add on two more runs before all was said and done in terms of the seventh inning. Josh Pyne would single, scoring Bobby Whalen, and Matthew Ellis would score on a passed ball. Indiana would lead 5-2 after the seventh inning.
Jack Perkins pitched six innings, giving up two earned runs while walking and hitting two. He also struck out four and only allowed four hits before being pulled for Grant Holderfield in the seventh inning. The lefty reliever was nails in the seventh, sitting down Northwestern in order.
The Indiana pitching staff would do their best to make it interesting, as they usually do. Northwestern would threaten in the eighth, recording back-to-back hits against Holderfield, followed by an error committed by second baseman Tyler Doanes. Northwestern would load the bases before Hodlerfield was lifted in favor of Braydon Tucker who would start his appearance by walking in a run and allowing a run to score on a sacrifice fly in back-to-back batters. Two consecutive outs would see Tucker limit the damage, keeping Indiana ahead by one.
Indiana wouldn't score in the bottom half, sending Braydon Tucker out in the 9th with only a run-one advantage. Tucker would allow a double and a walk through the first two batters, but then retired three in a row, securing the win for Indiana.
Notables:
Doanes, 2-4 1 R, Glasser 1-4 2 RBI, Whalen 2-5 1 RBI, Pyne 1-4 1 RBI
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