IU @ Vanderbilt: IU can't dig themselves out of an early hole in 13-5 loss...

[ptrich]

IU will have RHP Seti Manase on the mound with an ERA of 11.57 in 4.2 IP and a WHIP of 0.86. Taylor will be the DH while Tibbitts will be behind the plate. Brenczewski will be at 1B and Colopy will be in LF.

Vandy will have LHP JD Thompson on the mound with an ERA of 2.55 in 17.2 IP and a WHIP of 0.91. Thompson is their regular midweek starter and he has gone 6 IP in each of his last two outings.

As I post this, it's 69 degrees in Nashville and sunny with wind at 8 mph.

1st inning:

T1st:

It's Mitchell, Taylor, and Tibbitts at the top of the order. Mitchell popped up for the first out. Taylor singled to put a runner on. Tibbitts and Mathison Kd to retire the side.

B1st:

Manase was off to a horrible start by giving up doubles to both the leadoff and No. 2 hitters.

Back-to-back singles scored two runs and another single score two more and it's like batting practice for Vandy with a runner on 1st and no outs.

Manase's ERA has ballooned to 19.29 in the first inning with a runner on 1st and no outs and he has given up five straight hits to start the game.

He then hit a batter to put runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs.

Vandy's sixth straight hit to start the game was another single to make it 5-0 and no outs with runners on 2nd and 3rd. Manase finally got a grounder for an out but another run scored to 6-0.

A flyout got the 2nd out and the throw by Mitchell and he then threw out the runner at home plate trying to score from 3rd.

End of 1st: Vandy 6 IU 0

 

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2nd inning:

T2nd:

It was the 5 thru 7 hitters up for IU and Pyne flied out to lead off.

Cerny popped up to RF for the 2nd out. Brenczewski Kd to retire the side.

B2nd:

IU brought in LHP Grant Holderfield with an ERA of 22.85 in 4.1 IP and a WHIP of 3.00.

It's the top of the order up and the leadoff hitter singled. Holderfield then got an out on a flyout with the runner taking 2nd.

Holderfield then gave up a 2-run homer to make it 8-0 and one out.

Here's hoping that there is the 10-run rule in effect for this game since this is probably going to get really ugly before it's over with. It makes you wonder why IU scheduled both Vandy and Illinois State back-to-back in the midweek. Who is going to pitch against the Redbirds tomorrow?

Holderfield then got back-to-back Ks to end the inning.

End of 2nd: Vandy 8 IU 0

 

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3rd inning:

T3rd:

It's the 8 thru 1 hitters up with Colopy leading off. Whiteaker is warming up in the bullpen. Colopy and Burckel both Kd to start the inning with the top of the order up in Mitchell. The Vandy pitcher would probably be in the starting rotation for most teams. Mitchell grounded out to retire another quick inning for IU.

B3rd:

Holderfield was back out there to face the 6 thru 8 hitters. The leadoff hitter singled up the middle for the single. What looked like a DP ball ended up getting just the runner at 2nd with the throw to 1st being too high which brought Brenczewski foot off the bag.

Holderfield then got a K with the runner still at 1st and two outs. Holderfield then got another K to end the inning, and after giving up the homer, he has looked really good, the best so far since the season started.

End of 3rd: Vandy 8 IU 0

 

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4th inning:

T4th:

It's the 2 thru 4 hitters up with Taylor leading off. Taylor grounded out for the first out with Tibbitts up. Tibbitts singled for IU's 2nd hit of the game to put a runner on and one out.

Mathison was hit in the head by a pitch and he was down and was in a lot of pain. Wiggins came in to run for Mathison with Pyne up. Pyne walked to load the bases with one out and Cerny up.

A slow roller by Pyne scored Tibbitts for IU's 1st run and Cerny safe at 1st. The bases were still loaded with one out. They scored Cerny hit as an error.

Brenczewski reached on an error by RF with another run scored to make it 8-2 with the bases still loaded and one out.

Colopy reached on an infield hit scoring Pyne to make it 8-3 and the bases still loaded and one out.

Sefcik came in to pinch hit for Burckel. A SAC fly scored Cerny to make it 8-4 with runners on the corners and two outs and the top of the order up in Mitchell. Mitchell Kd to retire the side.

B4th:

Mathison was back out there in CF and Oliver took over 2B. RHP Eli Shaw relieved Holderfield and it was his first appearance for the Hoosier. Shaw faced the top of the order and he got the leadoff hitter on a grounder for the first out.

After having a 1-2 count, Shaw then walked the next batter to put a runner on with one out.

Shaw then walked another batter to put runners on 1st and 2nd with the runners advancing to 2nd and 3rd on a WP. Shaw's 3rd straight walk loaded the bases with one out.

A groundout at 1st scored the runner from 3B to make it 9-4 and runners at 2nd and 3rd with two outs.

Another WP scored the runner from 3rd to make it 10-4, and then he gave up a 2-run homer to make it 12-4 and two outs. Shaw got a K to end the inning. Vandy got three runs after two outs.

End of 4th: Vandy 12 IU 4

 

[Mas-sa-suta]

4th inning:

T4th:

It's the 2 thru 4 hitters up with Taylor leading off. Taylor grounded out for the first out with Tibbitts up. Tibbitts singled for IU's 2nd hit of the game to put a runner on and one out.

Mathison was hit in the head by a pitch and he was down and was in a lot of pain. Wiggins came in to run for Mathison with Pyne up. Pyne walked to load the bases with one out and Cerny up.

A slow roller by Pyne scored Tibbitts for IU's 1st run and Cerny safe at 1st. The bases were still loaded with one out. They scored Cerny hit as an error.

Brenczewski reached on an error by RF with another run scored to make it 8-2 with the bases still loaded and one out.

Colopy reached on an infield hit scoring Pyne to make it 8-3 and the bases still loaded and one out.

Sefcik came in to pinch hit for Burckel. A SAC fly scored Cerny to make it 8-4 with runners on the corners and two outs and the top of the order up in Mitchell. Mitchell Kd to retire the side.

B4th:

Does IU have a pitching coach? Is it a paid position?

 

[ptrich]

5th inning:

T5th:

Taylor led off and Kd. Tibbitts singled, Mathison walked, and Pyne singled to load the bases with one out. Cerny hit into a DP to retire the side.

B5th:

RHP Jacob Vogel relieved Shaw. The leadoff hitter reached on an error by Cerny, his 10th error of the season and his fielding percentage has dropped below .850.

Vogel then got back-to-back flyouts, but gave up a walk to put runners on 1st and 2nd. He then Kd the next batter to end the inning.

End of 5th: Vandy 12 IU 4

 

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6th inning:
T6th:
Vandy went to the bullpen and brought in RHP Andrew Dutkanych IV who is from Indiana, and he faced the bottom of the order for IU.

Brenczewski was hit by a pitch to lead off. Colopy grounded out and Oliver flied out moving Brenczewski all the way to 3rd. Mitchell Kd to retire the side.

B6th:

The middle of the order was up for Vandy with LHP Ryan Rushing replacing Vogel on the mound with TJ Schuyler is now behind the plate.

Rushing got a groundout and a pop up for two outs. He then got a K to put them down in order.

End of 6th: Vandy 12 IU 4

 

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7th inning:

T7th:

It was the 2 thru 4 hitters up and Taylor grounded out and Tibbitts Kd to start the inning. Mathison walked, but Pyne Kd to retire the side.

B7th:

Rushing is back out there to face the bottom of the order. Wiggins replaced Colopy in LF. Rushing Kd the leadoff hitter. The umps stopped the game and after a conference they determined that Wiggins was ineligible to reenter the game since he came in for Colopy and not Mathison. Sam Murrison replaced Wiggins in LF.

After making the decision on Wiggins, two umps left the field and are reviewing something and the game is at a stoppage right now.

The game resumed with Murrison in LF and one out. A groundout resulted in the 2nd out. Rushing then gave up a single and moved the runner to 2nd on a WP. The WP cost a run as the next batter singled to drive in the runner at 2nd.

The 10-run rule is in effect for this game so Vandy is one run away from ending the game with a runner on 1st and two outs. A force out at 2nd ending the inning.

End of 7th: Vandy 13 IU 4

 

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8th inning:
T8th:

It was the 6 thru 8 hitters up and Cerny led off with a single. Schuyler flied out for the first out.

Murrison was then hit by a pitch to put runners on 1st and 2nd and one out with Oliver up.

Oliver hit a long fly off the wall in LF, but because the runners had to hold to see if it got caught, it turned out to be a single off the wall with the bases loaded and one out.

The top of the order was up with Mitchell at the plate. Vandy went to the bullpen to bring in LHP Miller Green with an ERA of 1.59 in 5.2 IP.

Mitchell grounded out while scoring Cerny to make it 13-5 with two outs and runners at 2nd and 3rd with Taylor up. Taylor Kd to retire the side.

B8th:

Rushing was back out there to face the 3 thru 5 hitters.

Rushing walked the leadoff hitter on a 3-1 count. Rushing then got a DP ball to clear the bases with two outs.

Rushing then walked another batter on a 3-1 count to put a runner on and two outs. The runner stole 2nd.

Rushing got a K to end the inning.

End of 8th: Vandy 13 IU 5

 

[ptrich]

9th inning:
T9th:
It's the 3 thru 5 hitters up with Tibbitts leading off. Vandy brought in a pitcher who is throwing for the first time this season. Tibbitts Kd for the first out.

Mathison walked on a full count with one out. Pyne grounded out with Mathison taking 2nd and two outs.

Cerny was hit by a pitch to put runners on 1st and 2nd and two outs.

Schuyler was rung up on a full count to end the game which went 3 and a half hours.

Final: Vanderbilt 13 IU 5

 

[ptrich]

There's not much you can say about this game. We played the No. 9 team in Vanderbilt with the backend of our pitching staff while Vandy went with their midweek pitcher who had 6 IP in each of their last two midweek games, and would probably be in the weekend rotation of most teams out there. It didn't go well as we were out of it after just two innings with Manase getting blasted in the 1st. Our hitting just wasn't good enough to keep up with what we gave up in the first two innings.

IU was outhit 12 to 7 and we were 7 of 34 for a team batting average of .206 pct, while Vandy was 12 of 35 for .343 pct.

We had just one player with multiple hits and that was Tibbitts who was 2 for 5 with a run scored. We had no extra base hits in the game. Oliver hit a ball off the wall with runners on 1st and 2nd, and that would have normally scored both runners, but the runners had to hold to see if it was going to be caught and they could only advance one base with Oliver having only a long single.

Cerny had another error and that makes ten errors at short in our 16 games and his fielding percentage has dipped below .850 which is obviously not good. Needless to say, his error didn't cost IU the game, but he needs to get better with the conference season just about here. He's still adjusting to the position, but he has played 16 games there and at some point, he has to settle down there or it could possibly cost us down the road. His bat has been a big plus for us though.

Manase got blasted and gave up five straight hits to start the game to include back-to-back doubles to start the game. He then hit a batter before giving up his sixth hit of the inning before he finally recorded an out. The six runs given up in the first were all that Vandy needed to win the game.

Vogel and Rushing showed promise and had decent outings.

Holderfield got off to another bad start before finally showing a hint that he could start being the pitcher we expected. After giving up a 2-run homer in the 2nd, he Kd the next two batters to end that inning, and he got through the 3rd inning with no damage done after giving up a leadoff single, and retired the next three batters while striking out the last two.

Manase (L) - 1.0 IP, 6 hits to include two doubles, 6 earned runs, no Ks, no BBs, and a hit batter.

Holderfield - 2.0 IP, 3 hits to include a homer, 2 earned runs, 4 Ks, and no BBs.

Shaw - 1 IP, 1 hit to include a homer, 4 earned runs, 1 K, 3 BBs, and 2 WPs.

Vogel - 1.0 IP, no hits or earned runs, 1 K, and 1 BB.

Rushing - 3.0 IP, 2 hits and 1 earned run, 3 Ks, 2 BBs, and 1 WP.

Extra note - It was a bad day for the B1G teams that traveled south today against major competition.

In addition to IU's loss to No. 9 Vanderbilt, Rutgers traveled to No. 15 North Carolina and lost 13-7, and Iowa traveled to Georgia which isn't ranked but is 17-1, and they lost 10-5. Ironically, Georgia's only loss of the season is to Michigan State which is 5-9, and they lost to the Spartans, 19-6, in a game that ended under the 10-run rule.

 

[rcaulfie]

Boy, our pitching is even worse than I thought it would be.......and I didn't think it would be very good. I hear all of this talk about spin rates and whatnot. How about we focus more on getting people out? Jeez. RPI down to 61 now. Yeah, I know....."it's still early". Can't say that for too much longer, though.

 

[Orford]

We had similar issues a year ago and some guys found their way. We could see same this year. Glass half full😀

 

[Bucket Getter]

Does IU have a pitching coach? Is it a paid position?

I think it’s safe to say it’s an overpaid position. But dang do we have high spin rates.

 

[Bucket Getter]

We had similar issues a year ago and some guys found their way. We could see same this year. Glass half full😀

It’s really curious to me why it takes Mercer-led teams so long to get going. I feel like we’ve seen this every year since he took over. And it’s gotten more ridiculous since Dustin Grant got to town.