Hoosier offense sweeps doubleheader

When teams score 29 runs in two games, they do not usually lose. But throw in solid pitching and defense that allows only one run in those two games, and you have the perfect combination.\nThis is exactly what IU's baseball team accomplished in its home and season opener yesterday at Sembower Field.\nThe Hoosiers pounded NAIA opponent, Taylor University, 15-0 and 14-1 in the doubleheader, extending its unbeaten streak against the Trojans to 24 games, and improving to 12-3 in its last 15 season openers.\nIU struck early in both games, and never looked back.\nJunior outfielder Kennard Jones' leadoff triple set the tone in the nightcap. He later scored on senior shortstop Eric Blakely's RBI single, who also contributed two home runs and seven RBIs to lead the Hoosier offense.\nThe Trojans tied the score at one run apiece in the bottom of the second on Matt Tigert's RBI single, but after that, the Hoosier offense buried them by scoring in every inning except for the 6th.\nIU did not look rusty at the plate, ending with a combined 32 hits, with ten players adding hits in the nightcap and eight players in the opening game.\n"We've put in a lot of work in the off-season, and our coaching staff has put emphasis on us having good at-bats," junior first baseman Gibran Hamdan said. "A couple of our big innings came with two outs, so that's always a positive sign that we're staying in those innings. \n"We do have explosive people all throughout the lineup, and I can't even imagine how many people got hits for us today."\nOne of the players who had multiple hits in both games was junior third baseman Vasili Spanos.\nSpanos sparked IU in the first game with a blast to left field that the Trojans' left fielder did not even bother to turn around and watch leave the park in the second inning.\nThe Hoosiers blew the game wide open with a six-run fourth inning following two outs led by sophomore outfielder Mark Calkins' three-run homer.\nSpanos finished the game with two home runs, a triple and three RBIs, while Calkins added a home run, two triples and five RBIs.\nSophomore outfielder Joe Kemp said the offense showed good poise.\n"You're going to get one good pitch every at-bat, and you have to take advantage and capitalize on that," Kemp said. "We did a great job today and were real disciplined." \nEven though IU's offense looked unstoppable in its opener, coach Bob Morgan realizes that the season is still young and offense cannot carry the team the whole season.\n"I think we'll be a good hitting team," Morgan said. "The biggest concern will be our pitching and consistency there. I still have my concerns with pitching, even though we only gave up one run."\n"But the greatest thing about today is that it's Feb. 18 and we played a doubleheader in Bloomington, Indiana"