Troy @ IU. Game 1: Top of the order dominates IU in 8-1 loss to Troy...

[ptrich]

It will be RHP Connor Foley on the mound for IU with an ERA of 2.51 in 12.2 IP and a WHIP of 1.12 with an OBA of .260. Troy will start RHP Luke Lyon with an ERA of 0.61 in 14.2 IP and a WHIP of 0.48 with an OBA of .065. Stadler will be behind the plate with Tibbitts at 1st and Wiggins as the DH.

It's 42 degrees and cloudy with the wind at 5 mph and gusts to 9 mph.

1st inning:

T1st:

The leadoff hitter for Troy reached on a single that dropped in the outfield. Foley then walked the next batter on a full count and Troy has two on and no outs, and Foley has gone full on both batters so far.

Foley then Kd the next batter with the runners at 1st and 2nd and one out. Foley then went 3-1 on the next batter before walking him to load the bases.

Foley got a grounder with the runner at 3rd forced out at home and the bases loaded with two outs.

Foley then got a K to retire the side and dodge what could have been a big inning for Troy.

B1st:

Mitchell led off for IU. On a full count, Mitchell hit a no-doubt homer to RF to give IU a 1-0 lead. Taylor flied out to the warning track for the first out.

Tibbitts fouled out to 1B for the 2nd out. Mathison grounded out to end the inning.

End of 1st: IU 1 Troy 0

 

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2nd inning:

T2nd:

Foley threw 32 pitches in the 1st and will be facing the bottom of the order in this inning.

Foley went full on another batter before walking the leadoff hitter. Troy's best offense so far was Foley's control issues. Foley then got a pop up to 3B for the first out and the runner at 1st.

Foley got a flyout for the 2nd out with the runner holding at 1st. Foley got another flyout to the wall to retire the side.

Foley is at around 50 pitches right now through two innings.

B2nd:

It's the 5 thru 7 hitters up for IU with Pyne leading off. Pyne and Cerny both Kd for two outs.

Stadler walked on four pitches to put a man on and two outs. Wiggins singled to right center to put runners on the corners and two outs, and Burckel up. Burckel didn't get the chance for his first at-bat and Bode came in to pinch hit for him. Bode Kd to end the threat and the inning.

End of 2nd: IU 1 Troy 0

 

[ptrich]

3rd inning:

T3rd:

Foley faced the 2 thru 4 hitters with Carlson taking over 2B. For the third straight inning, the leadoff hitter reached and this time it was a hit batter.

Foley gave up a 2-run homer to give Troy the lead at 2-1, and Foley is having his worst outing of the year so far.

After giving up the homer, Foley got three straight Ks to retire the side.

B3rd:

It's the top of the order up with Mitchell leading off. The Troy pitcher was at 41 pitches so far.

A hard hit liner by Mitchell went straight to the left fielder for the first out. Taylor and Tibbitts both grounded out to end the inning.

End of 3rd: Troy 2 IU 1

 

[ptrich]

4th inning:

T4th:

Foley was back out there to face the bottom of the order and he was at a PC of 69.

Foley finally got the leadoff hitter in this game with a groundout for the first out.

Foley got a K for two outs and his 6th K of the game. Foley then walked a batter on a full count to put a runner on and with the top of the order up. Foley's pitch count is at 85.

The runner stole 2nd. A groundout retired the side.

B4th:

It was the 4 thru 6 hitters up with Mathison leading off. Mathison got a leadoff walk. Bothwell was warming up in the bullpen.

Pyne struck out for the 2nd time to for the first out. Cerny hit into a DP to end the inning.

End of 4th: Troy 2 IU 1

 

[ptrich]

5th inning:

T5th:

LHP Ty Bothwell replaced Foley and he has an ERA of 2.13 in 12.2 IP and a WHIP of 1.18.

Bothwell faced the 2 thru 4 hitters. Bothwell got the leadoff hitter on a flyout.

Bolthwell then gave up a solo homer to Will Butcher and Butcher hit his 2nd homer of the game and he has all three RBIs for Troy so far. Bothwell then got a flyout and K to retire the side.

B5th:

It's the bottom of the order up with Stadler leading off for IU. IU went down in order with both Wiggins and Carlson striking out. The Troy pitcher used just 7 pitches in this inning as IU continues to struggle at the plate.

End of 5th: Troy 3 IU 1

 

[ptrich]

6th inning:

T6th:

Bothwell faced the 6 thru 8 hitters. Bothwell got the leadoff hitter on the K. He then gave up a walk.

A flyout and then a single to put two on at 1st and 2nd, then a groundout retired the side with two on.

B6th:

Mitchell led off and was out on a grounder. Taylor then lined out to 2B for two outs. Tibbitts singled to put a man on, but Mathison grounded out to end the inning.

End of 6th: Troy 3 IU 1

 

[ptrich]

7th inning:

T7th:

Bothwell was back out there and he gave up a leadoff single. A flyout and the man on 1st caught stealing resulted in two outs. A K retired the side.

B7th:

Pyne and Cerny both grounded out to start the inning. A double by Stadler put a man in scoring position.
Wiggins grounded out to end the inning:

End of 7th: Troy 3 IU 1

 

[ptrich]

8th inning:

T8th:

Bothwell was back out there and he got the leadoff hitter on a groundout. He then gave up a single and a WP moved that runner to 2nd. Bothwell got a K for the 2nd out. Another single put runners on the corners with two outs. A flyout retired the side.

B8th:
Brenczewski hit for Carlson and he Kd. Mitchell Kd for the 2nd out.

Taylor walked and Tibbitts singled to put runners on 1st and 2nd and two outs.

Mathison was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs.

Pyne reached on a FC to end the inning.

End of 8th: Troy 3 IU 1

 

[ptrich]

9th Inning:

Bothwell was back out there. Oliver took over 2b for IU. A double to the leadoff hitter and then a walk put two on and no outs.

Butcher hit his 3rd homer of the game with this one being a 3-run shot to make it 6-1, and Butcher has all six RBIs for Troy.

Bothwell then hit a batter to put a man on and still no outs, and Mercer pulled Bothwell. IU brought in RHP Evan Whiteaker who got destroyed in his last outing at the Frisco Classic. He had an ERA of 9.00 in 5 IP and a WHIP of 2.00.

Whiteaker picked up right where he left off down at Frisco and he gave up a 2-run homer to the first batter he saw and it was 8-1 Troy and no outs. Whiteaker then got three straight Ks to retire the side.

B9th:

It's the 6 thru 8 hitters up with Cerny leading off in a game that is pretty much over. Cerny Kd for the first out. A lineout and a groundout ended the game.

Final: Troy 8 IU 1

 

[Bucket Getter]

Starting to look like I initially overrated this team. By a lot.

How is it possible to give up 3 HR and all 6 RBI (to that point) to the same guy? Do we not scout, game plan, make any adjustments as the game unfolds? I mean, seriously, WTH??

 

[ptrich]

There's not much to say about this game except that we never got going at the plate and Troy's three runs through the first 8 innings looked like a monumental hurdle for IU to overcome. Troy's shifts against our best hitters seemed to be perfectly placed and several hard-hit balls became nothing but outs.

IU got a leadoff homer in the 1st by Mitchell and that was it as IU had nothing but goose eggs the rest of the way. Troy's Will Butcher was a one-man wrecking crew and he hit three homers and had all of Troy's six RBIs before a 9th inning 2-run homer by Tremayne Cobb added to the final total after the game was all but decided.

Tibbitts was the only Hoosier with multiple hits, going 2 for 4, but they were empty hits with no runs scored. Stadler also had a two-out double but was stranded on the bases.

IU was outhit 10 to 5, and IU was 5 for 31 for a team average of .161. Troy was 10 for 36 for .278. The top of the order for Troy was 6 for 12 with the three Butcher homers and a double to the leadoff hitter Myers. The top of the order for Troy was hitting .407, .456, and .426 going into the doubleheader tomorrow with a significant drop off in batting averages after those three players.

There were no errors in the game.

Foley had control issues and threw 50 pitches through the first two innings, and he lasted four innings before giving away to Bothwell who also pitched four innings giving up the solo homer to Butcher before he ran into trouble in the 9th giving up another Butcher homer, a three-run shot, and giving way to Whiteaker.

Foley and Bothwell managed to give up only 3 runs through 8 innings before the roof fell in during the 9th, but our hitting was pathetic enough that those runs ended up being all that Troy really needed.

Foley - 4 IP, 2 hits to include a homer, 2 earned runs, 6 Ks, 4 BBs, and a hit batter. He threw 92 pitches through those 4 innings with 54 strikes.

Bothwell - 4 IP, 7 hits to include 2 homers and a double, and 5 earned runs, 4 Ks, 2 BBs, a WP, and a hit batter.

Whiteaker - 1 IP, 1 hit to include a 2-run homer, 1 earned run, 3 Ks, and no BBs.

 

[kraft cheese+macaroni]

Our vaunted offense has scored one or zero runs in three of the last five games. This team is not living up to the expectations so far.

 

[ptrich]

We got swept by Troy down in Alabama in the 2022 season and now with this loss we are 0-4 against them. With Foley not being able to beat them even though it was more about our own hitting in this game, you have to wonder how the rest of pitching staff is going to handle them tomorrow. Slow down the top three hitters and they have a chance, but not if our bats are quiet again.

 

[rcaulfie]

Starting to look like I initially overrated this team. By a lot.

How is it possible to give up 3 HR and all 6 RBI (to that point) to the same guy? Do we not scout, game plan, make any adjustments as the game unfolds? I mean, seriously, WTH??

I guess I overrated this team, too. Still time to turn it around, but I really don't see it happening. I was counting on baseball and women's basketball to make up for other sports, but women's basketball tank in the post season and baseball has been highly disappointing after the 5-1 start. Maybe softball will be my salvation, 16-4 after today.

 

[ptrich]

I guess I overrated this team, too. Still time to turn it around, but I really don't see it happening. I was counting on baseball and women's basketball to make up for other sports, but women's basketball tank in the post season and baseball has been highly disappointing after the 5-1 start. Maybe softball will be my salvation, 16-4 after today.

IMO, it's waaaay too early to abandon ship on the season. Iowa is struggling early on also.

 

[ptrich]

Here are a couple of video interviews with Coach Mercer discussing the game that were posted on iubase.com's X account.