IU@Purdue, Game 3: PU wins 16-15 and takes the series in a battle of struggling bullpens.

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In the 1st, Whalen opens the game with an infield hit. Glasser then hit a 2-run homer to give IU a 2-0 lead with no outs. Ellis just missed a homer off the top of the LF wall getting a double, and he moved to 3rd on a passed ball. Ellis scored on a single by Tibbitts and that would be it for IU in the 1st as IU takes a 3-0 lead,

In PU's 1st, Nathan Stahl is on the mound for IU and the first two batters reached on a walk and a single. After a K, PU's Thompson hit a 3-run homer to tie the game. Stahl got another K for the 2nd out and then gave up a single, but the runner on 1st ended up getting picked off to end the inning.

This is going to be a game of two struggling bullpens to see which one can out-pitch the other and it could get ugly before this game is over with.

 

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Both teams went down in order in the 2nd.

 

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IU went down in order in the 3rd.

PU gets their first two hitters on with back-to-back singles, which prompts a trip to the mound by Glant as Ryan Kraft is warming up in the bullpen. An infield hit loads the bases with no outs, which brings up Purdue's top power hitter who has already hit a 3-run homer to tie it. Mercer has seen enough and goes to the bullpen to bring in Kraft. An up and down outing for Stahl and it was more down than up as he couldn't get past 2 IP. Kraft inherits a bases loaded situation with no outs. A fly out gets the first out and scores a run to give the Boilers the lead at 4-3 with runners on the corners with one out. Toetz hits a triple to score two runs to make it 6-3 with a runner on 3rd and one out. Albrecht singled to make it 7-3 as Kraft is struggling also. Albrecht stole 2nd. A ground out moves the runner to 3rd with two outs. The runner scored from 3rd on a WP by Kraft and Viola hit a homer to make it 9-0 before IU got a ground out to end a horrible inning.

Purdue is easily winning the battle of struggling bullpens as their pitcher has put IU down in order for two straight innings while Stahl and Kraft were pitching to Purdue like it was batting practice for the Boilers.

 

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In the 4th, Mathison singled and Jessee then clubbed a 2-run homer to cut into the lead at 9-5. Murrison fouled out for the 1st out. Doanes then grounded out for the 2nd out. Whalen then singled to put a man on with two outs. The Boilers go to their bullpen to bring in RHP Ricky Castro who has an ERA of 4.20 in 15 IP. Whalen reaches 2nd on a WP, but Glasser strikes out to end IU's 4th. Purdue's bullpen gives up a lot of runs so it's early enough to get back into the game, but you know our bullpen is probably going to give up more runs.

In PU's 4th, Kraft walks the leadoff batter on a 3-1 count and we are into the top of the order for the Boilers that has battered us so far in this game. Unbelievably, Kraft, on a pickoff attempt, throws the ball away and the runner makes it all of the way to 3rd with no outs. Kraft then walks the next batter on four straight pitches to put runners on the corners with no outs. Naturally, the runner on 1st steals 2nd. A base hit scores two more runs with no outs and Stahl and Kraft have given up 11 runs, all earned, in 3 IP. Reese Sharp replaces Kraft, and Sharp has been awful coming out of the bullpen also as he has an ERA of 10.72 in 22.2 IP. Naturally, Sharp walks his first batter on a 3-2 count which puts two runners on with no outs still. A WP moves both runners to 2nd and 3rd with no outs. Toetz then doubles to score a run with runners on 2nd and 3rd and still no outs. Sharp gets the first two outs on Ks and a pop up ends the inning with IU down 12-5.

 

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In the 5th, Ellis and Tibbetts singled and Pyne hit a 3-run homer to pull IU within 4 at 12-8. Mathison then singled to put a man on and no outs. Jessee struck out for the 1st out, but Murrison singles to put runners on the corners with one out. A fielder's choice at 2nd scored Mathison to make it 12-9 with two outs and a runner on 1st. Doanes steals 2nd, but Whalen struck out to to end IU's 5th. If the bullpen can somehow get some outs without giving up any more runs, we might have a chance to pull this out, but given how the season has gone, that is a tall order.

In PU's 5th, Sharp got the leadoff man on a ground out, but then walks the next batter who steal 2nd with one out. Another ground out puts the runner on 3rd with two outs. A flyout ends the inning to keep the score at 12-9.

 

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In the 6th, IU scored five runs after two outs to take the lead at 14-12. It went single, K, fly out, single, walk, single, and then a 3-run homer by Murrison. Now can the bullpen come up with some outs?

In PU's 6th, Sharp struck out the first two batters in Toetz and Thompson, the Boilers power hitter, but walked the next batter with a man on with two outs. A WP moved the runner to 2nd. A two-out double scored the man from 2nd to cut the lead to 14-13 as IU has another walk cross the plate in a season of many walks scoring. Sharp then walked another batter to put runners on 1st and 2nd with two outs. Sharp then hit a batter to load the bases with two outs. Sharp then gave up a single to to tie the game at 14-14. Incredibly, Sharp has fallen apart after getting the first two batters on Ks. Another single scores two more runs as PU takes the lead back at 16-14. We scored five runs in the top of the inning with two outs and now PU has scored four runs with two outs in their half of the inning. A fly out finally ends the inning. Two walks were included in the four runs scored by PU which is something that IU has done a lot of this year.

 

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In the 7th, Whalen struck out to leadoff. Glasser then singled to put a man on. Glasser then stole 2nd with one out. Ellis grounded out, sending Glasser to 3rd. Tibbetts grounded out to end IU's 7th.

Holderfield, who pitched 1.2 innings in the first game, has replaced Sharp for PU's 7th. The leadoff hitter singles. IU ends the inning on a DP and a ground out.

 

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In the 8th, Pyne and Mathison both grounded out to start the inning. Jesse gets a two-out single to keep the inning going. Murrison was called out on a close play at first to end IU's half of the inning.

In the 8th, the leadoff hitter for PU flied out. Holderfield then walked the next batter. A ground out advanced the runner to 2nd with two outs. A K ended the inning and IU is down to their last three outs to try to pull this one out.

 

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In the 9th, Doanes, who is the only IU batter without a hit, grounds out for the 1st out and we are at the top of the order with one out to try and do something. Whalen then grounds out for the 2nd out. Glasser the hits a 2-out triple. Ellis then singles to score Glasser to make it 16-15. Another single by Tibbetts puts runners on 1st and 2nd with Vecrumba pinch running for Ellis. Purdue goes to the bullpen. A walk to Pyne loaded the bases, but Mathison struck out looking on a 2-2 count to end the game.

 

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IU outhit Purdue 22 to 15, but the Boilers hits resulted in one more run. Everyone in IU's lineup had at least two hits except for Doanes who went hitless and everyone in the Boilers lineup had at least one hit except for one player. It's just amazing that Sharp would strike out the first two batters in the 6th and then turn around and give up four runs. Purdue could probably say the same thing about their pitchers in the 6th who gave up five runs after two outs. It was just an ugly game from a pitching standpoint. IU now has a series against the hottest team in the B1G next weekend at Rutgers which is in first place right now, and they just swept Nebraska over the weekend in Lincoln. IU has a midweek game at Indiana St. on Tues.

 

[Dude Where Is My Car]

Well I just saw on twitter that this is the highest ERA for IU in program history at the moment. remember prior to 2010 the bats were much easier to hit with. This might be the most embarrassing stat I have ever seen and Glant cannot stay past this weekend. A dog would be a better pitching coach would be a better coach than Glant. It is that simple.

 

[82IU]

It is really hard to watch these games knowing that no lead is safe. There has to be some internal strife going on with the major turnover in players and staff. It seems that everyone that could jump ship last year, did so. I hate to see this because I really enjoy following IU Baseball. I hope things get figured out going forward. We do have talent on this team and a lot of good young prospects. Glant may be like Sheridan in Football (potential but just not ready for prime time). I don't have any connections but just as an outside observer, there is definitely something going on. Let's hope for a turn around starting with Rutgers!
Go Hoosiers!
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