Butler and Stiever Lead Baseball to 1-0 Victory over Xavier
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Senior Tony Butler's home run in the third inning was all the offense Indiana baseball (25-17-2) needed in a 1-0 pitcher's duel victory over the Xavier Musketeers on Friday evening.
Butler collected his third home run of the season and served as the sole run production in the game. Seniors Austin Cangelosi, Alex Krupa and Craig Dedelow, along with freshman Jeremy Houston also chipped in hits in the effort.
Sophomore Jonathan Stiever (3-2) picked up the win following a 7.2 inning effort that included five strikeouts and no earned runs, as he extended his scoreless innings streak to 17.2 innings. Junior Matt Lloyd entered the game with two outs in the eighth inning to pick up his team-best sixth save of the year.
Indiana put itself in good position from the jump as walks to Krupa and Butler put the first two Hoosiers on base. A fielding error on sophomore Luke Miller's fielder's choice loaded the bases but Xavier's Zac Lowther picked up two outs to leave the first inning unscathed.
Stiever worked around a leadoff single in the second inning before Butler provided Indiana's pitching staff with a one-run cushion in the third. Butler took the first offering from Lowther and sent it over the wall in left field to give the Hoosiers a 1-0 edge.
Xavier used two singles in the fourth inning to challenge Stiever, but a foul out on a full count halted the potential tying run at third base.
The Musketeers again tried to capitalize off of two base runners in the eighth inning. With runners on second and third and Rylan Bannon working with a full count, Lloyd entered the game and delivered a powering strike to pick up a swinging strikeout and preserve the Hoosiers' lead.
Indiana and Xavier resume its three-game series tomorrow with a first pitch time slated for 2:05 p.m.
Boxscore within:
http://iuhoosiers.com/news/2017/5/5/butler-and-stiever-lead-baseball-to-1-0-victory-over-xavier.aspx
Go Hoosiers!