IU @ Butler, Game 1: IU a no-show in losing series opener, 6-2...

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It's RHP Aydan Decker-Petty on the mound for IU with an ERA of 9.35 in 8.2 IP and a WHIP of 1.96 with an OBA of .306. Stadler is behind the plate with Tibbitts at 1st. Mitchell is in RF and Brenczewski is the
DH.

LHP Ben Whiteside is on the mound for Butler with an ERA of 7.17 in 21.1 IP and a WHIP of 1.36 with an OBA of .284.

Temp is 57 at game time and partly sunny with the winds WSW at 7 mph and gusts to 14 mph.

1st inning:

T1st:

The top of the order is the same as it has been in the last few games with Mathison leading off and Cerny and Taylor to follow.

Mathison Kd looking to start the game. Cerny flied out. Taylor popped up to the SS as IU went down quietly in the 1st.

B1st:

Butler is loaded with lefties with six of their nine batters in the order on that side of the plate.

Decker-Petty got the leadoff hitter on a groundout. He then gave up an infield single to the next batter to put a runner on.

A double scored the runner from 1st and IU is already down 1-0 with a runner on 2nd and one out.

A flyout moved the runner to 3rd with two outs. D-P then gave up a two-out, two-run homer to give Butler a 3-0 lead and D-P has given up four homers on the season in 9.2 IP.

A groundout ended the inning with IU already in a hole.

End of 1st: Butler 3 IU 0

 

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2nd inning:

T2nd:

The middle of the order was up and Tibbitts and Mitchell both popped up in the infield for two outs.

Brenczewski singled for IU's first hit. Pyne then singled to put runners on 1st and 2nd and two outs.

Oliver singled and Brenczewski was thrown out at the plate as IU came up empty in the inning.

B2nd:

It's the bottom of the order up for Butler with D-P back out there. D-P is averaging giving up a homer for just about every other inning he pitches with four homers given up in 9.2 IP.

D-P got the leadoff hitter on a K but then gave up a single to put a runner on. A WP moved the runner over to 2nd.

D-P then got his second K of the inning for two outs and the runner still at 2nd and it's the top of the order for Butler and their best hitter in Dorighi. IU intentionally walked Dorighi to put runners on 1st and 2nd and two outs. It was the first intentional walk by IU this season.

D-P threw his 2nd WP of the inning to move the runners up to 2nd and 3rd with two outs.

With a four-game series, IU needed D-P to get some innings today, but he is looking like he is not long for this game.

A flyout ended the inning with no damage done, but you have to wonder how long they are going to stick with D-P since this inning was still a struggle for him.

End of 2nd: Butler 3 IU 0

 

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3rd inning:

T3rd:

It's the 9 thru 2 hitters up for IU. Stadler flied out and Mathison reached on an error. Cerny flied out and Taylor grounded out to retire the side with Mathison left at 1st.

B3rd:

Decker-Petty's day was over as he was replaced by LHP Ryan Rushing with an ERA of 12.60 in 5 IP and a WHIP of 2.60.

Rushing faced the 3 thru 5 hitters and he gave up a solo homer to the leadoff hitter. Rushing then got a K for the first out. He got the 2nd out on a groundout.

Rushing then hit a batter to put a runner on with two outs.

An error on Rushing on a pickoff attempt moved the runner to 2nd and two outs. Rushing then walked at batter on a full count to put two on.

A pop up ended the inning.

End of 3rd: Butler 4 IU 0

 

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4th inning:

T4th:

It's the middle of the order up for IU with Tibbitts leading off. Tibbitts walked to put a runner on.

Mitchell reached on a bunt to runners on 1st and 2nd and no outs. Brenczewski flied out to move Tibbitts to 3rd with runners on the corners with one out.

Pyne hit a SAC fly to score Tibbitts for IU's first run and Mitchell at 1st. Oliver popped up to SS to retire the side and IU has had a bunch of pop outs in this game so far.

B4th:

Rushing was back out there to face the 9 thru 2 hitters and he put them down in order to include a K, and it was IU's first clean inning of the game.

End of 4th: Butler 4 IU 1

 

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5th inning:

T5th:
It was the 9 thru 2 hitters up for IU with Stadler leading off.

Butler went to the bullpen and brought in LHP Andrew Crumbley with an ERA of 8.10 in 6.2 IP and a WHIP of 1.80.

Stadler Kd looking for the first out and the top of the order was up. The top of the order is 0 for 6 so far in the game.

Mathison walked to put a man on with one out. Cerny walked on a 3-1 count to put runners on 1st and 2nd.

Taylor singled to load the bases with one out.

Tibbitts reached on a fielder's choice to shortstop to score Mathison, Taylor was out at second ss to 2b; Cerny out at third 2b to 3b with a DP retiring the side. IU managed to get one run after having the bases loaded with one out.

B5th:

Rushing gave up single to the leadoff batter and then moved the runner all the way over to 3rd on back-to-back WPs with no out.

Rushing was pulled for RHP Jacob Vogel who had an ERA of 0.00 in 6 IP and a WHIP of 0.83.

Vogel Kd the first batter he faced for the 1st out and the runners still at 3rd.

A SAC fly scored the runner at 3rd and two outs.

A solo homer gave Butler another run to make it 6-2.

A two-out double put a runner in scoring position.

A K ended the inning.

End of 5th: Butler 6 IU 2

 

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6th inning:

T6th:

It's the 5 thru 7 hitters up for IU. So far, IU has struggled just to get their two runs against pitchers with elevated numbers.

True to form for this game, Mitchell Kd looking and Brenczweski popped out for two outs. Pyne, like Mitchell, Kd looking and IU meekly went down in order.

B6th:

IU went to the bullpen again to bring in LHP Brandon Keyster with an ERA of 6.14 in 7.1 IP and a WHIP of 0.95.

Keyster put them down in order.

End of 6th: Butler 6 IU 2

 

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7th inning:

T7th:

It's the 8 thru 1 hitters up for IU with Oliver leading off and what has been the trend for IU this season, they find themselves down by a sizeable margin going into the final three innings of the game.

Butler brought in LHP Cole Graverson with an ERA of 5.30 in 18.2 IP and a WHIP of 1.82.

Oliver Kd looking and IU has five Ks looking in the game. Stadler grounded out and Mathison Kd swinging as IU went down in order for the second straight inning.

B7th:

Keyster was back out there and he got the first two batters on a groundout and flyout. He then gave up a two-out single.

A throwing error on a pickoff attempt by Keyster moved the runner to 2nd, but when the runner tried to take 3rd, he was thrown out on a throw from 1B to 3B.

End of 7th: Butler 6 IU 2

 

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8th inning:

T8th:

It was the 2 thru 4 hitters up for IU and Cerny Kd swinging, Taylor singled, Tibbitts flied out for two outs. Taylor took 2nd on a WP, and Mitchell lined out to retire the side.

B8th:

IU brought in RHP Eli Shaw with an ERA of 10.80 and he got the first two batters on a K and a groundout. He then gave up a two-out double before getting out of the inning with a K.

End of 8th: Butler 6 IU 2

 

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9th inning:

T9th:

Brenczewski and Pyne both flied out and I guess it was fitting that IU would lose this game on a game-ending K swinging by IU.

Final: Butler 6 IU 2

 

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IU was a no-show in all phases of the game today. We faced a pitching staff with a team ERA of just a hair under 10.00, and the best we could do was scratch out two runs against their three pitchers. Little did we know, but the three runs in the 1st were game winners as we gave up a two-out, two-run homer in that inning.

We were outhit, outpitched, and had two errors (both on pickoff attempts) to Butler's one error, otherwise the game went great.

We were outhit 10 to 6 with all six of our hits being singles. We were 6 for 31 with a team average of .194 while Butler was 10 of 32 for .313. Six of Butler's 10 hits were extra base hits to include three homers and three doubles. Taylor was 2 for 4 with both singles having no impact on the game and that was it as the other four singles were spread out. Our top of the order was 2 for 10 and our middle of the order was 2 for 11. We had five Ks looking and I don't know how many pop outs we had but there were several.

We had two on in the 4th with no outs, and then runners on the corners with one out, but all we could do in that inning was get a run across on a SAC fly.

In the 5th, we had the bases loaded with one out and the best we could do was to get a run across just ahead of a double play to retire the side.

Decker-Petty opened the game and struggled right out of the gate. He is averaging close to a home run in every other inning and has given up four homers in 10.2 IP and that also includes four doubles given up. We used five pitchers with Keyster and Shaw pitching well over the final three innings, but IU hitters couldn't take advantage of that.

Decker-Petty - 2.0 IP, 4 hits to include a double and homer and 3 earned runs, 2 Ks, 1 BB, and 2 WPs.

Rushing - 2.0 IP, 2 hits to include a homer and 2 earned runs, 2 Ks, 1 BB, 2 WPs, and a hit batter.

Vogel - 1.0 IP, 2 hits to include a double and homer and 1 earned run, 2 Ks, and no BBs.

Keyster - 2.0 IP, 1 hit and no earned runs. The rest of his slate was clean.

Shaw - 1.0 IP, 1 hit which was a double, 2 Ks, and no BBs.