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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana scored three runs in the first two innings, doubled its score in the bottom of the eighth and shut out Rutgers the entire way as the Hoosiers clinched the series with a 6-0 win on Saturday afternoon in front of 3,328 fans at Bart Kaufman Field.
RHP Jake Kelzer started for Indiana, posting career bests of eight innings pitched and six strikeouts while allowing just three hits, matching the lowest by an IU opponent this season.
IU moved to 11-1 in series' at Bart Kaufman Field, winning its first Big Ten series of the year.
Three of Indiana's first four hits were doubles, including runs batted in from Brad Hartong in the first inning and Colby Stratten in the following frame. Craig Dedelow added a RBI single in the bottom of the second to give the Hoosiers a 3-0 lead they would maintain until expanding it in the eighth.
Logan Sowers added IU's fourth double of the game in the eighth to bring home Scott Donley and give IU a 4-0 advantage. Isaiah Pasteur and Stratten piled on RBI singles for a 6-0 edge, before Ryan Halstead took over on the mound to retire the top of the ninth in three batters.
Every Hoosier in the lineup recorded a hit as Indiana racked up 13, the 18th time this season IU has had 10 or more.
Stratten, who made his second consecutive career start, was one of four Hoosiers with a pair of hits while recording a team-best two RBI. Dedelow, Donley and Hartong also tallied a pair of hits.
SERIES FINALE
Indiana and Rutgers complete their weekend series at Bart Kaufman Field on Sunday, April 12, at 12:30 p.m. ET. The time was moved up from 1:05 p.m. to accomodate Rutgers' travel plans.
Click here for single-game tickets at Bart Kaufman Field.
GAME NOTES
••• With its fourth shutout win of the year, Indiana improved to 20-11 overall and 4-6 in Big Ten play.
••• IU is 23-6 in Big Ten games at Bart Kaufman Field and with the series clincher, improved to 11-1 in three-game series' at the facility.
••• At Bart Kaufman Field, Indiana is 48-11 (.814), including a 10-3 mark in 2015.
••• The Hoosiers are 4-0 all-time against Rutgers.
••• Indiana tallied 13 hits, marking the 18th time IU has had 10 or more this season.
••• Indiana has limited its error total to one or less 21 times this season.
••• Rutgers' three hits matched the lowest by an IU opponent in a single game this season. Ball State also had just three.
••• Sophomore RHP Jake Kelzer pitched a career-high eight innings and tossed a career-best six strikeouts.
••• All nine Hoosiers registered a hit, led by two each from Craig Dedelow, Scott Donley, Brad Hartong and Colby Stratten.
••• Dedelow leads IU with 14 multi-hit games, while Donley has IU's current longest hit streak at eight games.
Go Hoosiers!
per Varsity Club