IU @ Minnesota, Game 2: IU goes down on 7th inning 10-run rule, 13-2, in a very poorly played game...

[ptrich]

In the first game of today's DH, RHP Ty Rybarczyk is on the mound with an ERA of 4.40 in 14.1 IP and a WHIP of 1.40 with an OBA of .279. The batting order is the same as yesterday with the exception of Oliver sliding down to the No. 9 spot with the Sefcik (DH) at the No. 8 spot.

LHP Connor Wietgrefe is on the mound for the Gophers with an ERA of 3.40 in 50.1 IP and a WHIP of 1.43 with an OBA of .275. He is considered the ace of the Gopher pitching staff.

1st inning:

T1st:

Mathison opened the game with a walk on a full count. Pyne reached on a FC with an error a 2B allowing IU to have runners 1st and 2nd with no outs.

Mitchell singled to load the bases with no outs.

Cerny Kd on a full count for one out. Taylor popped up to the SS for two outs and the bases still loaded.

Brenczewski Kd and IU blew a big chance to grab a big lead with the bases loaded and no outs and they came up empty. The only positive was they made the Gopher pitcher throw a lot of pitches in the inning.

B1st:

Rybarczyk opened with back-to-back Ks for two outs. What seemed like a routine flyball managed to leave the park for a solo homer. Another K ended the inning.

End of 1st: Gophers 1 IU 0

 

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2nd inning:
T2nd:
It's the bottom of the order up for IU with Stadler leading off. Stadler Kd for the first out.

Sefcik Kd and it was 4 Ks for the Gopher pitcher in IU's last five at-bats, and two outs.

Oliver singled to put a runner on with two outs and we were at the top of the order with Mathison up.

Mathison doubled to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with two outs.

Pyne flied out to the warning track and IU had left five on in the first two innings.

B2nd:
Rybarczyk walked the leadoff hitter on a 3-1 count. The next batter bunted safely to put runners on 1st and 2nd and no outs.

Rybarczyk got a much-needed K for the first out and runners at 1st and 2nd.

A FC at 1st got the 2nd out with the runners at 2nd and 3rd and we were at the No. 9 hitter.

Rybarczyk pitched out the jam with an inning ending K.

End of 2nd: Gophers 1 IU 0

 

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3rd inning:

T3rd:

It was the 3 thru 5 hitters up with Mitchell leading off. Mitchell flied out for the first out.

Cerny grounded out for the 2nd out and Taylor singled to put a runner on.

A WP moved Taylor into scoring position at 2nd with one out.

Brenczewski grounded out to retire the side as IU had now stranded six runners in the game thru three innings.

B3rd:
Rybarczyk walked the leadoff hitter on a full count for the second inning in a row. A WP moved the runner to 2nd with no outs.

Rybarczyk got a K for the first out with the runner still at 2nd.

A two-run homer by the same Gopher, Webber Neal, who hit the first homer and the Gopher.

A flyout ended the inning.

End of 3rd: Gophers 3 IU 0

 

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4th inning:

T4th:

It was the bottom of the order up for IU with Stadler leading off. Stadler grounded out for the first out.

Sefcik Kd for the 2nd out and Oliver up. Oliver flied out and IU went down in order.

B4th:

IU went to the bullpen and brought in LHP Ryan Rushing with an ERA of 9.31 in 9.2 IP, and he faced the 6 thru 8 hitters.

For the third straight inning, IU gave up a leadoff walk with Rushing walking the batter on a 3-1 count. Rushing walked another batter to put two on with no outs and he was facing the weak bottom of the Gopher batting order.

Tonghini was starting to warm up in the bullpen. A bunt moved the runners to 2nd and 3rd and one out.

IU had seen enough of Rushing and went to the bullpen to bring in RHP Julian Tonghini with an ERA of 4.66 in 19.1 IP and a WHIP of 1.71.

On a close play at the plate , the runner was called safe with the batter reaching 1st on a FC. There were runners on the corners with one out and it was 4-0. It appeared the runner was tagged out at the plate but there is no replay.

Tonghini got the next batter for two outs and runners still at the corners.

A two-out double scored two more runs to make it 6-0.

Tonghini then walked a batter with two outs.

A double scored another run to make it 7-0.

An infield hit scored another run and one of the worst offenses in the B1G led 8-0.

No one was up in the bullpen so IU was essentially waving the white flag in the 4th with another game yet to be played.

A K finally ended the inning with the Gophers plating five runs in the inning.

End of 4th: Gophers 8 IU 0

 

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5th inning:

T5th:

It was the top of the order up for IU. Mathison grounded out to lead off.

Pyne singled to put a runner on but that would be it for IU in the inning as Mitchell and Cerny would go down to retire the side.

B5th:

IU brought in RHP Eli Shaw with an ERA of 7.71 in 7.0 IP and a WHIP of 1.57.

The leadoff hitter singled as IU had put the leadoff hitter on for four straight innings.

A FC got the batter at 1st with the runner taking 2nd. Another single by a weak hitting batter with a .145 average, scored another run with one out.

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

A two-out single put runners on 1st and 2nd with two outs. Shaw put another runner on to load the bases with two outs.

On a K by Shaw, Stadler couldn't control the pitch and the batter reached 1st with another run scoring to make it 10-0. The bases were still loaded with two outs.

On a catcher's interference call on Stadler, another run scored with two outs and the bases still loaded.

A WP scored another run as IU was embarrassing themselves in the first game of the DH.

A K ended the inning as IU was letting one of the worst hitting teams in the B1G walk all over them by scoring in just about any way that was possible in the baseball. Horrible.

End of 5th: Gophers 12 IU 0

 

[Im4iu89]

Our pitching is a joke. Down 10-0 to Minnesota.

 

[82IU]

Just call it already and go to game two!
SMH!! Uncle!!!
82

 

[ptrich]

Just call it already and go to game two!
SMH!! Uncle!!!
82

10-run rule is in effect so this debacle will end after the top of the 7th, unless IU scores some meaningless runs to keep it going.

 

[82IU]

10-run rule is in effect so this debacle will end after the top of the 7th, unless IU scores some meaningless runs to keep it going.

I read that, but in this case Mercer should have the option to call off the dogs because of the double header and possible time restraints. Why waste any more time on a game that is unwinnable and like you said they might get a few runs to drag this miserable game out, but why? Oh well RMK had a quote for this kind of trouble, but I better not repeat it. LOL.
82

 

[ptrich]

6th inning:

T6th:

Taylor singled to leadoff and Brenczewski doubled to score IU's first run. The Gophers had just 9 hits at this point to IU's 7 hits yet they were up by 11 runs.

A SAC fly scored Brenczewski to make it 12-2 and that would be it for IU as Oliver Kd to retire the side.

B6th:

IU brought in RHP Evan Whiteaker who had been buried in the bullpen with an ERA of 14.00 in 9.0 IP and a WHIP of 2.33.

Whiteaker is getting hit by the weak part of the Gopher order and he gave up a leadoff single and then a double to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs.

A shallow fly got the first out with the runners holding. A FC scored a run with the batter out at first for the 2nd out.

A flyout ended the inning with another run scored.

End of 6th: Gophers 13 IU 2

 

[ptrich]

7th inning"

T7th:

Mathison Kd and Pyne flied out. Mitchell reached on a bunt, but Cerny ended the game on a FC.

Final: Minnesota 13 IU 2

 

[ptrich]

The next game is in about the next 30 minutes. This series is a perfect example of the up and down season IU has had with the hitting and pitching running hot/cold and you don't know which team is going to show up for any one game. IU having the bases loaded with no outs in the first and coming up empty, pretty much set the tone for what would be an all-around bad game with the fundamentals out the window.

The Gophers have managed to win at least one game in each of their B1G series so far up to this point, but have never won a series. What will be IU's mental state for the 2nd game after playing as poorly as a team can play in the loss in the first game today?