Northwestern@IU, Game 1: IU wins 5-4 as the bullpen creates late inning drama but hangs on...

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In the 1st, Perkins gave up a couple of hits that found the hole on the left side of the infield, but that would be it for NU.

In IU's 1st, the NW starter is freshman LHP Sean Sullivan who has a really good ERA of 2.61 in 31 IP. He averages around 1.5 Ks an inning and doesn't walk many, giving up 8 BB over the 31 IP. After two outs, Bibby Whalen singled to the outfield for the IU's first hit of the game and Ellis walked to put runners on 1st and 2nd with two outs. Tibbets walked to load the bases with two outs, but Pyne struck out to end the inning.

 

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In the 2nd, Perkins walked the leadoff batter on a 3-2 count. A fielder's choice at 2nd and two flyouts ended NU's half of the inning.

In IU's 2nd, Mathison, Colopy, and Murrison went down in order, all on Ks. Colopy leads the B1G in strikeouts.

 

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In NU's 3rd, they are at the top of their order. Perkins strikes out the first two batters. He gives up a two-out single, buts gets the last out on a grounder.

In IU's 3rd, Doanes struck out to lead off which is the 5th straight K for the NU starter. A ground out and another K ended a quick 3rd for IU.

Northwestern is a really young team with their starting lineup today consisting of 6 sophs, 2 freshmen, and a junior, with their starting pitcher also being a freshman.

 

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Either this pitcher is the second coming of Sandy Koufax or our offense is really struggling. Annnddd as I was typing we get a bloop double. Need to cash in here.

 

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In the 4th, Perkins put them down in order on two line outs and a ground out.

In IUs 4th, Ellis was hit by a pitch to lead off. Tibbetts and Pyne struck out for two outs. Mathison then doubled sending Ellis to 3rd with two outs, but Colopy struck out to end the inning. The NU pitchers has 9 Ks through 4 IP.

 

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Either this pitcher is the second coming of Sandy Koufax or our offense is really struggling. Annnddd as I was typing we get a bloop double. Need to cash in here.

Their pitcher is 4-0 and in his 6 starts he has given up just 3 or fewer runs in each of those games.

 

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In the 5th, Perkins hit the first two batters to put runners on 1st and 2nd and no outs and we are at the top of the order now. A single loads the bases with no outs. Pyne threw out the lead runner at the plate for the 1st out. Perkins walked in a run to give NU the lead 1-0. A SF scored another run to make it 2-0 with two outs. A ground out ended the top half of the inning as IU gifted two runs to NU on two hit batters and a walk with a single mixed in.

In IU's 5th, Murrison became the 10th IU batter to strike out as he leads off. Doanes singled on a hard hit ball. Doanes was out at 2nd on a fielder's choice for the 2nd out and a man on 1st. Whalen grounds out to end the inning.

 

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In the 6th, Perkins took them down in order on a flyout, K, and foul out.

In IU's 6th, Ellis walked to leadoff. A K and two flyouts ended the inning. The Wildcat pitcher is at 109 pitches so he may not be out there for IU's half of the 7th and that would be a positive since we have done almost nothing against him.

 

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In the top of the 7th, Grant Holderfield replaced Perkins. Outside of the the gift wrapped two runs Perkins gave up in the 5th, he pitched pretty well, but his counterpart has been almost unhittable today. Holderfield put them down in order in the 7th.

In IU's 7th, NU takes Sullivan out after pitching an outstanding game, and they bring in RHP David Utagawa and he has an ERA of 1.80 in 10 IP and has walked only 3 so far. Jessee pinched hit for Colopy and hit a leadoff single up the middle. A fielder's choice moves Jessee to 2nd with one out. A walk to Doanes put runners on 1st and 2nd with one out. A double by Glasser scored both runners to tie the game at 2-2. NU goes to their bullpen again and bring in RHP Coby Moe with an ERA 2.20 in 16.1 IP and has just 5 BBs. IU takes the lead on a Whalen single up the middle to score Glasser from 2nd to give IU the lead at 3-2. A passed ball moved Whalen to 2nd and they intentionally walked Ellis to put runners on 1st and 2nd with one out. Tibbetts popped out for the 2nd out. Pyne singles to score Whalen from 2nd to make it 4-2. Mathison then walked to load the bases with two outs. An error on an attempted force out at 2nd gave IU another run to make it 5-2, and Murrison struck out to end the inning.

 

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In the 8th, the first two hitters for NU single to put runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs. An error by Doanes on what might have been a DP, loads the bases with no outs. It was Doanes first error on the season. IU goes to the bullpen again to bring in Braydon Tucker. Tucker immediately walked in a run on a 3-1 count, to keep the bases loaded and no outs and the score at 5-3. A SF scores the runner at 3rd with runner on 2nd moving to 3rd with one out with the score at 5-4. A bunt single looked like it had tied the game, but an interference call on the runner at 2nd resulted in an out and the runner that scored from 3rd had to return to 3rd with two outs. The runner on 1st stole 2nd. Pyne made a great play at 3rd to get the last out as IU dodged a big bullet there on the interference call which prevented NU from tying the game.

In IU's 8th, Doanes singled in the leadoff spot and Glasser walked to put runners on 1st and 2nd with no out. NU goes to their bullpen again and bring in RHP Reed Smith with an ERA of 12.79 in 6.1 IP. Smith retired the next three batters to end the inning. IU blew a big opportunity there to get some insurance runs.

 

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In the 9th, Tucker gave up a leadoff double. He then walked the next batter on four pitches to put runners on 1st and 2nd with NU's leading hitter up. Tucker then got a K on NU's hottest hitter for the first out. He got the next batter on a flyout for the 2nd out. A flyout to CF ends the game as the bullpen added a lot of drama over the last two innings, but hung on for the B1G opening game win. The interference call in the 8th was huge and allowed for the win.

Doanes and Whalen had two hits each and Glasser had two RBIs. With the exception of the 5th where he gifted NU two runs, Perkins pitched well. NU found a gem in freshman pitcher Sean Sullivan whom they got out of Massachusetts and he pitched a great game as IU couldn't hit him. Fortunately, he was at 109 pitches after the 6th and they pulled him and that was when we finally got some offense going. In seven appearances, Sullivan is 4-0 and has given up three or fewer runs in each of those appearances and he gave up no runs to us today while striking out 11.

 

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Here is the link to the box score:

https://static.iuhoosiers.com/custompages/stats/bb/2022/IU24.pdf