Evansville @ IU: IU struggles to beat UE, 7-4...

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It will be RHP Cole Gilley on the mound to start the game with Schuyler behind the plate. Cole has an ERA of 2.75 with a WHIP of 0.92 in 19.2 IP. He has 24 Ks with just 5 BBs and his OBA is .173.

The batting order for IU is Wiggins, Taylor, Dickerson, Hanley, Denny (2B), Brenczewski (DH), Schuyler, Cerny, and Malamazian. Cerny is the only player in the lineup with a batting average below .300 and he is at .247.

On the mound for the Aces is RHP Parker MacCauley. He has an ERA of 11.57 with a WHIP of 2.36 in 9.1 IP. He has 12 Ks to 9 BBs and an OBA of .310.

The current weather is 71 degrees and mostly/partly sunny skies. The wind is S 16 mph with gusts up to 32 mph.

T1st:

Good start for Gilley as he Ks the leadoff batter, the Aces best hitter, and then got another K for two outs. An infield pop-up retired the side as Gilley put them down in order.

B1st:

Wiggins flied out to lead off. Taylor doubled to RF.

Dickerson fouled out to 1B for the 2nd out. Hanley grounded out to end the inning.

End of 1st: IU 0 UE 0

 

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T2nd:

Gilley faced the middle of the order in what will probably be his last inning, and he got the leadoff hitter on a lineout. He then got a K for the 2nd out.

A batter reached on a Cerny error when he couldn't control a ball in his glove. A flyout retired the side.

B2nd:

It's the 5 thru 7 batters with Denny leading off. Denny was hit by a pitch.

Brenczewski lined out to SS for the first out. Schuyler hit into a DP to end the inning. It's early yet, but I hope this is not going to be another game where IU hitters struggle against a pitcher with poor numbers.

End of 2nd: IU 0 UE0

 

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T3rd:

RHP Trey Telfer replaced Gilley and he faced the 8 thru 1 hitters. Telfer has an ERA of 0.00 in 4 IP.

Telfer put them down in order.

B3rd:

It's the 8 thru 1 hitters up with Cerny leading off. Cerny reached on a bunt single. Malamazian Kd with Cerny stealing 2nd after Wiggins grounded out.

Taylor reached on an error with Cerny moving to 3rd. Taylor stole 2nd. Dickerson singled to score Taylor.

Dickerson singled off the LF wall to score Taylor with both runs scored so far being unearned. UE went to the bullpen. Hanley Kd to end the inning.

End of 3rd: IU 2 UE 0

 

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T4th:

LHP Ryan Kraft replaced Telfer and he hit the leadoff batter. The runner at first was picked off for the first out. A K and groundout retired he side.

B4th:

Denny and Brenczewski both Kd and then Schuyler flied out as IU went down in order.

End of 4th: IU 2 UE 0

 

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T5th:

Kraft gave up a leadoff triple. He then got a K for the first out. A FC scored the run from 3rd as they attempted to throw him out at the plate but Schuyler couldn't control the ball in his glove. There was a man on with one out.

Kraft got a K for the 2nd out with the runner still at 1st.

A flyout retired the side.

B5th:

It's the 8 thru 1 hitters up with Cerny leading off. The Aces brought in their best bullpen pitcher in RHP Kellen Roberts with an ERA of 2.81. Cerny grounded out. Malamazian walked on a full count.

Wiggins walked on a 3-1 count to put runners at 1st and 2nd and one out.

Taylor singled to score Malamazian and there were runners at 1st and 2nd with one out.

Dickerson walked on four pitches to load the bases with one out.

Hanley walked to bring in another run to make it 4-1 and that chased the Aces best bullpen pitcher.

The Aces brought in RHP Brodie Peart with an ERA of 0.00 in 1 IP with Denny up and the bases loaded with one out.

Denny Kd for the 2nd out and we needed for him to put the ball in play.

Brenczewski grounded out and the Hoosiers missed out on blowing this game open.

End of 5th: IU 4 UE 1

 

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T6th:

RHP Seth Benes replaced Kraft and he faced the top of the order. Moore replaced Denny at 2B. The leadoff hitter reached on an infield single.

A ground rule double put runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs. A WP scored a run and then a walk put runners on the corners and that was it for Benes who had a terrible outing getting no outs. Mercer brought in LHP Grant Holderfield.

A SAC fly scored a run with one out and a runner at 1st. A DP retired the side but UE challenged the call and the call was reversed with a runner at 1st and two outs.

Holderfield walked a batter to put runners at 1st and 2nd and two outs. An infield pop-up retired the side.

B6th:

It's the bottom of the order up with Schuyler leading off.

I don't know what is going on with the hitting in this game in which we should be hitting this team hard, yet we have just four hits going into the bottom of the 6th. It's not the first time we have been handcuffed by pitchers with elevated ERAs.

Schuyler grounded out to lead off. Cerny doubled to put a runner in scoring position with one out.

Malamazian reached on a throwing error with Cerny taking 3rd and runners on the corners with one out.

Incredible! Wiggins hit into a DP and the hitters blew another chance to create some separation with the Aces.

End of 6th: IU 4 UE 3

 

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T7th:

Holderfield faced the 9 thru 2 hitters and the leadoff hitter reached on an infield single that neither Schuyler or Holderfield could reach in time and we are at the top of the order.

A slow roller got the hitter at 1st with the runner taking 2nd and one out.

A flyout got the 2nd out with the runner taking 3rd. Holderfield then walked a batter on a full count to put runners on the corners with two outs.

A bloop single that Cerny couldn't reach scored the tying run with the batter out trying to reach 2nd.

B7th:

Taylor blasted a leadoff homer to LF to give IU the lead back. Dickerson flied out and two groundouts ended the inning.

End of 7th: IU 5 UE 4

 

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T8th:

RHP Pete Haas replaced Holderfield as IU tries to hang on to a one run lead. Haas put them down in order to include two Ks.

B8th:

It's the 6 thru 8 hitters up with Brenczewski leading off. The Aces brought in RHP RJ James with an ERA of 17.76 in 12.2 IP and he walked Brenczewski on four pitches.

Stadler popped up on the infield for the first out. Cerny fouled out to 1B for the 2nd out.

Malamazian rescued the inning with a two-out, two=run lined homer to CF to make it 7-4 IU.

The Aces went to the bullpen again with the top of the order up. Wiggins Kd to end the inning.

End of 8th: IU 7 UE 4

 

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T9th:

Haas was back out there to try to close it out. Haas Kd the leadoff hitter. He then gave up a one-out single to put a man on. Haas then got another K for two outs. The runner stole 2nd. A foul out ended the game.

Final: IU 7 UE 4

 

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IU's offense struggled for much of the game but found enough offense to win it against a pitching staff with a team ERA of over 9.00, and this is not the first time this season they have done that. It would have been a major resume damaging game if UE had pulled this out. The pitching was pretty good early on and late in the game, with the middle innings somewhat sporatic.

IU outhit UE 7 to 6 and had just two multi-hit players.

Taylor was 3 for 4 with a homer and a double and two RBIs.

Cerny was 2 for 4 with a double.

Malamazian was 1 for 3 with a two-run homer and two RBIs.

In the pitching department, Gilley was great in his two innings of work, and he went 2.0 IP with no hits or earned/unearned runs and 3 Ks, with the rest of the slate clean.

Telfer came in to relieve Gilley and he pitched just 1.0 inning and he put them down in order.

Kraft pitched 2.0 IP and gave up a triple (third of the year) with an earned run, one K and no BBs, and a WP.

Benes relieved Kraft and had a horrible outing on the mound going 0.0 IP with two hits to include a double, two earned runs, no Ks and one BB, and a WP as his ERA ballooned to over 17.00.

Holderfield went 2.0 IP while giving up two hits and an earned run, and he had no Ks with two BBs.

So far, Haas has established himself as a reliable closer and he pitched the final 2.0 IP and gave up just one hit and no earned runs. He had four Ks and no BBs and the rest of his slate was clean.

IU had one error to UE two errors.