Hoosiers Lose First Conference Series of Season with 5-2 Defeat

The Indiana Hoosier baseball team dropped their final game of the series against Purdue in a 5-2 defeat. This marks the first time the Hoosiers have lost a conference series all season, and puts IU in a very difficult spot to win the conference regular season.

The usually strong IU offense only mustered 6 hits in the game. Matt Morgan, Purdue's #3 starter, who began the game with 5 losses on the year shut down the Hoosier offense going 7.1 innings only giving up 2 runs (1 earned) while striking out 5. The Boilermaker bullpen also pitched well as they allowed only 1 hit and no runs throughout the final 1.2 innings.

Starter Matt Bashore pitched a strong game, but had some tough luck throughout. He personally added to the tough luck allowing runners into scoring position or to score with 5 wild pitches. He struck out 9 through 7.1 innings while only walking 3. However, 2 of the 3 Boilermakers walked eventually scored. In the 8th, Bashore allowed 2 runners to reach base before Coach Tracy Smith went to Chris Squires. Squires allowed both inherited runners to score making the score 5-2 going into the top of the 9th.

Although the pitching staff allowed 5 runs to score, we have come to expect the Hoosier offense to more than compensate for this in a Sunday game. They failed today only scoring one earned run. Leading the IU offense was Alex Dickerson with 2 hits and 1 run scored. Chris Hervey (1-4), Kipp Schutz (1-3), Evan Crawford (1-4, 1 run, 1 RBI), and Tyler Rogers (1-2) all also had 1 hit a piece.

This weekend was a huge setback for the Hoosiers and their chance at the conference regular season title, but let's hope IU pulls it together moving forward and gets back in the hunt to get a good seed for the conference tournament (even if it's not #1).

Good luck on finals this coming week to the IU baseball team! Back to the diamond next weekend at home vs. Northwestern.