Northwestern@IU, Game 2: NU wins 7-6 as a big 9th rally falls short for IU...

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In the 4th, NU took the lead at 1-0 on two singles and a hit batter (2nd of the game) with one out. Brehmer then advanced runners to 2nd and 3rd on a wild pitch. Brehmer got a K for the 2nd out with runners still on 2nd and 3rd. A standup double to CF by Ethan O'Donnell, his second double of the game, scored two to make it 3-0. Brehmer then gave up a single to put runners on the corners with two outs. A K ended the T4th, as Brehmer who had two straight good outings, really struggled to get through the 4th and really added to his PC at 80. Brehmer also leads the B1G in hit batters with 9 counting the two today.

IU went down in order in the 4th with a ground out and two Ks, and for the 2nd straight day, IU is having trouble hitting the starting pitcher for the Wildcats up to this point.

 

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In the 5th, Brehmer, after struggling in the 4th, put them down in order.

In IU's 5th, Pyne got his 2nd double of the game to leadoff as Pyne has two of IU's three hits so far. IU was unable to score Pyne as they went down in order after the double on two ground outs and a FO.

 

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In the 6th, Brehmer hit the leadoff batter for his 3rd hit batter of the game. After getting a foul out, Brehmer hit another batter, his 4th of the game, and Mercer has seen enough and pulls Brehmer. Reese Sharp replaces Brehmer with runners on 1st and 2nd and one out. Sharp has really struggled coming out of the bullpen, but he got IU out of the inning with a foul out and a K.

In the B6th, Murrison reaches on a single to leadoff. Murrison is out at 2nd on a fielder's choice. A DP ended the inning. Like yesterday, IU has not been able to get anything going against the starting pitcher and he is at 78 pitches, so we are not going to see NU's suspect bullpen anytime soon.

 

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In NU's 7th, a leadoff double puts a man in scoring position. Sharp then gives up a single to put runners on the corners with no outs. Another double scores a run to make it 4-0 with runners on 2nd and 3rd and no outs and NU is threatening to blow this game wide open. Mercer goes to the bullpen again to bring in another pitcher that has really been struggling in Ty Bothwell who has an ERA 14.85 in 6.2 IP. It's another one of those innings as a passed ball by Ellis scores the runner from 3rd to make it 5-0 and the runner on 2nd advanced to 3rd. A fielder's choice scores another run to make it 6-0 with no runners on. A triple puts a runner on 3rd with just one out. An infield line out resulted in the 2nd out with a man still on 3rd. A flyout ends the inning with NU doubling their lead to 6-0.

IU goes down in order in the 7th, and with the NU starting pitcher at a 92 PC, we will probably see him again in the 8th since NU has a suspect bullpen. Our No. 1 thru 4 batters are now 0-12 at the plate.

 

[Dude Where Is My Car]

Nice to see with the pitching a little better that the hitting has gone bad against a mediocre at best pitcher. This team is a mess and can't get everything right at once. I am starting to question Mercer a lot. Its that simple.

 

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In the 8th, Bothwell gives up a leadoff single, but then retires the side on two ground outs and a flyout.

In IU's 8th, the NU starter, Michael Farinelli, gave up a one-out walk to Jessee for the first walk of the game by any pitcher. A single by Mathison put runners on 1st and 2nd with one out and NU goes to the bullpen to bring in RHP Reed Smith with an ERA of 11.5 in 7.1 IP. Two flyouts ended the inning.

 

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In the 9th, IU brings in the freshman in Luke Hayden out of the bullpen. On Hayden first pitch, he hit the batter in the shoulder while losing his balance on the mound and falling down for the 5th hit batter of the game by IU pitching although this was caused by his lost balance. With two outs, a single put runners on the corners and a wild pitch scored a run to make it 7-0. Another wild pitch moved the runner to 3rd with Hayden walking the batter and Mercer went to the bullpen again bringing in RHP Brian Gaffney who is a redshirt freshman and is making his first appearance ever for IU. A flyout ended the inning and IU has three outs to try to come up with 7 runs.

Glasser led off IU's 9th with a walk. Whalen grounded out and Ellis was hit by a pitch to put runners on 1st and 2nd with one out. Another walk loaded the bases with one out. With the count at 2-0 on Tibbetts, NU goes to the bullpen again to bring in RHP Coby Moe with an ERA of 2.12 in 17 IP. Moe threw two straight balls to walk Tibbetts and bring in a run to make it 7-1. A single by Jessee brought in another run with the bases still loaded with one out and the score at 7-2. A ground rule double by Mathison scored two more runs to make it a 7-4 game. NU brings in their right fielder in Jay Beshears to pitch and Tucker Shanks gets pinch hit single to bring in two more runs at 7-6. Doanes then took a strike three call on a ball well out of the zone for the 2nd out. Glasser then struck out swinging on a 3-2 count to end the game.

 

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The key to beating the Wildcats is to get to their suspect bullpen and we know how that goes. Both of NU's starting pitchers in the first two games were like facing Sandy Koufax and Bob Gibson back-to-back as far as effectiveness goes. Both of those pitchers went 13.1 IP and gave up no runs to IU. It was when we got to their bullpen that things picked up for us. With Mercer going to the bullpen in the 6th and bringing in both Sharp and Bothwell back-to-back, I thought it was like waving a white flag since both of those pitchers having struggled big time coming out of the bullpen, and both pitchers struggled again. We hit five batters today with Brehmer hitting four to extend his B1G leading total to 11 hit batters on the season. Both IU and NU have not announced starting pitchers for the rubber match tomorrow. On the positive side, Pyne was 2 for 3 with two doubles, while Mathison was 3 for 4 with two RBIs.

 

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Here is the game recap with a link to the box score:

Rally Comes Up Short Against Northwestern - Indiana University Athletics

A six-run rally in the ninth inning came up just short as the Indiana baseball program dropped the middle game of its series against Northwestern, 7-6, on Sa...

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