Butler @ IU, Game 2: Bothwell goes 8 innings in 11-2 win...

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LHP Ty Bothwell is on the mound for IU with an ERA of 5.74 in 21.2 IP and a WHIP of 1.35 with an OBA of .255. Tibbitts is behind the plate with Brenczewski at 1st. Mitchell is in RF and Wiggins is the DH batting 9th in the lineup.

RHP Tyler Banks is on the mound for Butler with an ERA of 8.88 in 25.1 IP and a WHIP of 1.70 with an OBA of .318.

It's 69 and sunny with the wind WSW 7 mph with gusts to 13 mph.

1st inning:

T1st:

The leadoff hitter Dorighi for Butler is hitting .441 and Bothwell Kd him to open the game. Butler has alternated lefties and righties down the batting order with exception of the No. 8 and 9 hitters which are righties.

Bothwell got a flyout for the 2nd out. Bothwell hit the No. 3 batter on the elbow to put a runner on with two outs and IU gave up several runs yesterday after two outs. A flyout to the warning track retired the side with no damage done on the hit batter.

B1st:

Mathison singled on the first pitch to put a runner on. Cerny doubled to score Mathison and IU saw just two pitches to take the lead.

Taylor flied out and Tibbitts lined out for two outs and Cerny at 2nd. A WP moved Cerny to 3rd.

Mitchell popped up on the infield to end the inning.

End of 1st: IU 1 Butler 0

 

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2nd inning:

T2nd:

Bothwell faced the 5 thru 7 hitters. Bothwell put them down in order to include a K.

B2nd:

It was the 6 thru 8 hitters up with Brenczewski leading off. Brenczweski and Pyne went down on groundouts.

Oliver got a two-out single. Wiggins Kd looking to end the inning.

End of 2nd: IU 1 Butler 0

 

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3rd inning:

T3rd:

Bothwell faced the 8 thru 1 hitters. Bothwell Kd the first two batters. The top of the order was up and Dorighi managed to single through the left side, but a groundout retired the side.

Bothwell was at an efficient 39 pitches after three innings.

B3rd:

It's the top of the order up with Mathison leading off. IU went down in order.

End of 3rd: IU 1 Butler 0

 

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4th inning:

T4th:

It was the 3 thru 5 hitters up and Bothwell got the leadoff hitter before giving up a single with one out.

Another single put runners at 1st and 2nd and one out. Bothwell then got a flyout with the runners holding at 1st and 2nd and two outs. A groundout retired the side with no damage done.

B4th:

It's the middle of the order up for IU with Tibbitts leading off. Tibbitts flied out.

Mitchell and Brenczewski both singled with Mitchell taking 3rd and one out. Pyne hit a SAC fly to score Mitchell.

Oliver reached on a FC with Brenczewski out at 2nd for the final out.

End of 4th: IU 2 Butler 0

 

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5th inning:

T5th:

Bothwell's PC was at 52 and he faced the 8 thru 1 hitters. Bothwell got a foul out and flyout for two outs. With the top of the order up, Dorighi singled to put a two-out runner on.

A two-out, two-run homer to LF tied the game just like that. Bothwell got a K to retire the side.

B5th:

It's the 9 thru 2 hitters up with Wiggins leading off. Wiggins led off with a ground rule double.

Mathison grounded out with Wiggins taking 3rd and one out.

Cerny then cranked a no-doubt two-run homer out of the park, IU's first homer of the series.

Taylor homered to RF and it was his first homer since the first game of the Troy series and IU led 5-2 with one out.

Tibbitts grounded out and Mitchell flied out to end the inning.

End of 5th: IU 5 Butler 2

 

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6th inning:

T6th:

Bothwell was back out there and he got the first two batters, but then gave up a single. A foul-out retired the side.

B6th:

Butler went to the bullpen and brought in RHP Colin Dailey with an ERA of 17.47 in 5.2 IP and a WHIP of 2.65.

Brenczweski was hit by a pitch and Pyne flied out for the first out.

Oliver walked, and then Brenczweski and Oliver executed a double steal to put runners on 2nd and 3rd and one out.

Wiggins walked and then Mathison doubled to score Brenczweski and Oliver to make it 7-2.

With runners on 2d and 3rd and one out, Butler went to the bullpen again and brought in RHP Christian Finnigan with an ERA of 6.00 in 6.o IP and a WHIP of 1.83.

Cerny flied out for the 2nd out.

Taylor doubled to score both Wiggins and Mathison to make it 9.2 with two outs.

Tibbitts hit a two-run homer to make it 11-2 and Mitchell then flied out to end the inning.

End of 6th: IU 11 Butler 2

 

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7th inning:

T7th:

Bothwell was back out there and he faced the 8 thru 1 hitters and he put them down in order to include a K. Bothwell is at 88 pitches and could probably go another inning, but this may be it for him.

B7th:

It's the 6 thru 8 hitters for IU with Brenczewski leading off. Butler went to the bullpen again to bring in RHP Aidan Hatcher with an ERA of 15.00 in 3 IP and a WHIP of 3.67.

Brenczewski doubled to lead off and then Pyne flied out with the runner holding at 2nd.

Oliver fouled out to RF with Brenczewski taking 3rd and two outs.

Wiggins walked to put runners on the corners with two outs and the top of the order up in Mathison.

Mathison popped up to end the inning.

End of 7th: IU 11 Butler 2

 

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8th inning:

T8th:

Bothwell was back out there and he faced the 2 thru 4 hitters. Bothwell retired the side which included a K. Will Mercer allow Bothwell to try and get the complete game in the 9th with a PC at 97?

B8th:

It's the 2 thru 4 hitters up and Butler went to the bullpen again and brought in RHP Gabe Pancratz with an ERA of 16.20 in 1.2 IP as Butler is giving the back of their bullpen some innings.

IU went down in order.

End of 8th: IU 11 Butler 2

 

[TomEric4756]

Good pitching today …no walks
Nice recovery by Kraft to get a scoreless 9th after an error put the lead off batter on 1st.

 

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9th inning:

T9th:

Mercer wasn't going to give Bothwell the chance at a complete game and he brought in a struggling LHP Ryan Kraft with an ERA of 9.24 in 12.2 IP and a WHIP of 2.45.

IU almost got out of the game without an error but on a K that dropped by Tibbitts and an error was charged to Brenczewki at 1st on the throw down there with the runner reaching safely.

Kraft gave up a single to put two runners on and no outs. A pop up, flyout, and a K ended the game with Kraft leaving both runners on base.

Final: IU 11 Butler 2

 

[ptrich]

Good pitching today …no walks
Nice recovery by Kraft to get a scoreless 9th after an error put the lead off batter on 1st.

I would have let Bothwell try to get the complete game with a PC of 97 after he put them down in order in the 8th. We see why complete games are a rarity in baseball at the college and pro levels, especially for IU.

 

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After a poor showing yesterday at Butler in all phases of the game, we got today what I was expecting going into the series with an opponent with about as big of a team ERA we will see this season. We got off to a fast start getting one run after just the first two pitches of the game, but then we started looking like we did yesterday at the plate while scratching out another run in the 4th against a pitcher with an ERA approaching 9.00 going into the game. With Bothwell holding down Butler's hitters, we finally started getting to the Bulldog's pitching staff in the 5th after Butler had tied the game in the top of that inning.

It's one game, but if we can continue to get the same kind of game out Bothwell going forward and with Foley continuing to pitch well, maybe we can turn this season around, although that is contingent on an improvement in the bullpen. We almost had a no error game, but an error in the 9th ended that thought.

We outhit Butler 12-7 with seven of our hits for extra bases to include four doubles and three homers. After a miserable game yesterday, the top of the order was 6 for 15 and that was with two doubles and two homers.

Taylor - 2 for 5 with a double and homer and 3 RBIs.

Cerny - 2 for 5 with a double and homer and 3 RBIs.

Mathison - 2 for 5 with 2 RBIs.

Brenczewski - 2 for 3 with a double and run scored.

Tibbitts - 1 for 5 with a 2-run homer.

Wiggins had a double as the DH and Pyne had an RBI on a SAC fly.

Bothwell had one hiccup on the mound when he gave up a two-out, two-run homer in the 5th to tie the game, but otherwise he handcuffed the Bulldogs through his 8 IP. Kraft had two runners on in the 9th with one on because of the error after the K, but he left them on the base to end the game. After several WPs yesterday, there were none today.

Bothwell - 8.0 IP, 6 hits to include a homer and two earned runs, 8 Ks, no BBs, and a hit batter.

Kraft - 1.0 IP, 1 hit and no earned runs, 2 Ks, and no BBs.

 

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IU was the only team playing out of conference this weekend. Here are the final results of the Friday contests in the B1G.

Rutgers 4
MSU 2

Neb 5
NW 2

MD 11
Mich 9

Illinois 6
PSU 2

Minn 16
Iowa 9

OSU 8
Purdue 2

Iowa's season has almost been as frustrating for their fans as what IU's season has been so far. With a home series against the Gophers, the Hawkeyes gave Brody Brecht a 7-0 lead in the first two innings, but Brecht ended up going just 3.0 IP with 5 hits to include 3 doubles and a homer, 7 earned runs, 2 BBs and a hit batter. Brecht who is the preseason No. 1 pitcher in the B1G entering the season also lost his B1G season opener at Purdue, although he didn't get the loss today. After getting those 7 runs in the first two innings, Iowa's bats went quiet and they didn't score again until they got two runs in the 8th.