Indiana baseball picks up ‘big win’ over Ball State in Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS — Last year’s matchup between Indiana and Ball State at Victory Field was canceled due to rain, but there was no stopping the Hoosiers this time around, as they defeated the Cardinals 14-4 (7 inn.) on a beautiful afternoon in downtown Indy.
Between the pitching, hitting and defense, Indiana played an all-around sound game, flipping the switch after last week’s midweek matchup with Indiana State ended in disappointment, the Hoosiers falling 7-5 at Bart Kaufman Field.
Indiana wouldn’t fall to a mid-major school this time, though, as after a weekend series win over Maryland, the Hoosiers picked up right where they left off and put the “Victory” in Victory Field on Wednesday night against Ball State.
It was a back-and-forth affair early on, with Indiana scoring the game’s first run on a Will Moore single in the top of the second before the Cardinals responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame. Jake Hanley tied things up a half-inning later, as he hit a line-drive home run down the right-field line.
That was the only homer of the ballgame, as in a larger ballpark, Indiana head coach Jeff Mercer said there were adjustments to be made to his team’s hitting approach.
“We’ve tried not to be as dependent on the home run, but more balls in play, walks, keep the ball in the lines, use the middle of the field, use the other side of the field,” Mercer said.
Hanley’s homer was a big one, though, as it gave the Hoosiers the momentum back, and Mercer understood that even when the approach is to hit it hard between the gaps, Hanley gave his team a big boost.
“He rides that down the right-field line at 105 [miles per hour], so you can still get extra-base hits — they just have to be low on a line, and you string them together,” the Indiana skipper said.
With the momentum delivered by Hanley, Indiana took the lead back an inning later. Hogan Denny scored on a wild pitch ahead of Devin Taylor, who doubled to score two more runs to give IU a 5-2 advantage heading into the fifth.
Here’s more on Indiana’s 7-5 win over Ball State from earlier this month
That’s where the Hoosiers did their damage, as IU scored nine runs in the frame — eight of those coming before there were even two outs in the inning.
The first three Indiana hitters walked to load the bases, while Cooper Malamazian singled to score the first run of the frame. T.J. Schuyler followed with a two-RBI double, while Moore singled, Taylor doubled and Korbyn Dickerson tripled to give the Hoosiers eight men on base and seven runs scored before they surrendered their first out.
“We almost hit around before we got an out, which is pretty incredible,” Mercer said, as Ball State didn’t retire an Indiana batter until its ninth at-bat of the top of the fifth.
Mercer said, “That inning was probably the best of this year,” and he has a strong case, as Indiana had a perfect combination of walks, singles and extra-base hits that eventually allowed it to score nine total runs in the inning, securing a 14-2 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth.
This put Indiana in position to win in run-rule fashion, as the Hoosiers’ pitching continued to shine. In total, eight IU pitchers took the mound, with the first six pitching exactly one inning each.
Pete Haas started the ballgame, while Deron Swanson, Ryan Kraft, Cole Decker-Petty, Brayton Thomas and Seth Benes all pitched an inning of relief. This gave Indiana six innings of two-run ball, as Swanson’s two runs given up in the second were the only runs the Cardinals had up to that point.
“We pitched it great,” Mercer said, and while it took both Ryan Rushing and Jacob Vogel to pitch the bottom of the seventh to secure a run-rule win, Indiana got out of Victory Field with a 14-4 statement win that showcased not only its hitting prowess, but its pitching depth as well.
“If you would have said that we win by a run rule and don’t throw [Jackson] Yarberry tonight and [Seth] Benes and [Brayton] Thomas go clean, I think we would have told you — I think we would say that’s a big win for us,” Mercer mentioned.
It wasn’t just Indiana’s manager who thought so, as Malamazian said postgame that it was a “great feeling” to win — and to win like Indiana did. He also said “it’s definitely cooler” to play in a ballpark like Victory Field, especially on how nice of a night it was in the heart of Indianapolis.
When it was all said and done, the Hoosiers continued their momentum from the Maryland series, while avenging their midweek loss against Indiana State a week prior. The Hoosiers did all of this behind a strong pitching effort, while it seemed like their bats could do no wrong in the fifth inning.
In front of what Mercer called a “great crowd,” the Hoosiers got the job done in their state’s capital, as Indiana continues its push toward the postseason during an up-and-down 2025 campaign.
The post Indiana baseball picks up ‘big win’ over Ball State in Indianapolis appeared first on On3.
