After two consecutive games of offensive struggles dating back to Tuesday’s loss against Cincinnati, the Hoosiers began to inch their way to success at the plate on Saturday.
Totaling 10 hits in their last two games, IU was able to reach seven hits Saturday, while junior pitcher Pauly Milto cashed in yet another stellar performance, throwing seven innings of 1-hit baseball.
The Hoosiers were able to bounce back against Pacific, 3-1, and even their home opening series at one game apiece.
“It’s been a tough couple days. Still, today was a tough game,” IU manager Chris Lemonis said. “Sometimes the game plays you a little funny.”
By the end of the third inning, Milto had struck out five consecutive batters. That’s the kind of game it was going to be for the former Big Ten Pitcher of the Week.
Coming off of his worst game of the season —12 hits and six earned runs allowed in 4.2 innings pitched — Milto followed Jonathan Stiever’s strong Friday start and came out firing. Facing the minimum through five innings, Milto allowed Pacific’s first hit to start the sixth inning, when he would also allow its only run of the game too.
The junior finished with three hits allowed, three walks allowed and nine strikeouts, which ties his career best.
“He’s been really good with command lately,” Lemonis said. “He’s pitched like that pretty much all season.”
Looking to bounce back offensively, IU put runners in scoring position in each of the first four innings, but left them all stranded, including two baserunners at third base. There were five total innings when IU would strand runners in scoring position, but Milto was able to hold down the Tigers so that IU could get its first lead of the series in the fifth frame.
Junior center fielder Logan Kaletha led off the fifth inning with a double, and junior Matt Lloyd was able to move him over to third with a groundout. Senior outfielder Logan Sowers popped a ball into shallow right field, and Kaletha beat the throw at home to score the first run.
The Tigers ended their scoring drought with an RBI groundout in the top of the seventh, but IU answered immediately in the bottom half, as sophomore shortstop Jeremy Houston singled to bring in pinch-runner Laren Eustace from second and Sowers grounded into a near-double play to push Houston across.
While the Hoosiers struggled to score runners from scoring position all game, Lemonis asid it’s not something he sees being a long-term issue.
“We had some white knuckles out there today. I don’t understand why,” Lemonis said. “We’re swinging a little hard. We need to let the game come to us a little bit. I’ve got guys that have started for three or four years. They’ll be alright. They usually come through.”
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