Indiana baseball concluded its series with San Diego on Sunday. The Hoosiers managed five runs on 10 hits, while the Toreros finished the game with 16 hits to surpass their combined total from Saturday's doubleheader.
The team's 1-2 record this weekend bring it to 8-5 on the season. Indiana will Play Evansville at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Hits come to a halt until the end of the game
Indiana matched San Diego state with 14 total hits coming in the first two games of the series, but the team fell behind by three runs in the first two innings. It wasn't until the bottom of the fourth inning that the Hoosiers managed to make contact with a ball that fell in the field of play.
Senior catcher Collin Hopkins lined a pitch into left field that brought designated hitter Jordan Fucci to second after a walk on the previous at-bat.
With two outs on the board, freshman right fielder Hunter Jessee grounded to San Diego pitcher Grady Miller, who promptly made the throw to first base.
The Hoosiers ended the game with 13 players left on base and scored five runs on 10 hits. Six of those hits came in the final two innings.
Indiana pitching falters
Indiana has recorded at least one error in every game this season, and that trend continued early in game three against San Diego. Sophomore pitcher Braydon Tucker — one of five pitchers for the Hoosiers on the afternoon — walked junior right fielder Tora Otsuka to begin the game. The subsequent throw to first base got away from him, and Otsuka advanced to second base.
It was one of two errors for the Hoosiers in the game.
San Diego senior left fielder Thomas Luevano singled to center field which brought the runner home and opened up the scoring onslaught. The Toreros scored in all but two innings.
Tucker's afternoon concluded after 4 2/3 innings. He allowed four earned runs and 10 hits while recording three strikeouts.
Senior Grant Sloan took the mound and pitched pitched 1/3 inning for the Hoosiers and allowed two runs before junior Conner Manous took over for 1 2/3 innings.
Sophomore Alex Franklin stepped up to pitch to start the eighth inning, but it was freshman Ty Bothwell that closed the game in the ninth.
San Diego ended the game with 16 hits — surpassing its total from the previous two games combined — and 13 runs.
Mid-game rally doesn't appear
Junior left fielder Drew Ashley finally got Indiana on the board with a solo home run over left field, making it a 5-1 score in the fifth inning. Sophomore Grant Richardson followed with a single to center field, and junior Cole Barr was then hit by a pitch.
They each advanced on a wild pitch with junior first baseman Elijah Dunham up to bat.
With two runners on base and one out, Dunham grounded to right field, bringing Barr to third and Richardson home. The Hoosiers were digging into the deficit with two runs, but couldn't give a further response.
Fucci was walked before the end of the inning, and junior Cooper Trinkle followed with a fly ball to left field, marking the team's third out in the fifth. The Hoosiers had eight seven innings.
Indiana brought three runners home in the final inning after facing three San Diego pitchers. The team dropped its final game of the series 13-5.
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