Gophers take three of four from IU

Hits and runs were few and far between this weekend for the IU baseball team as the Hoosiers dropped three of four to the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Sembower Field. In the four games, IU (27-15, 10-10 Big Ten) could only muster an average of two runs and seven hits throughout the contests against the Big Ten leading and No. 27 ranked Gophers.\nMinnesota used a similar formula for success as it has nearly dominated the rest of the Big Ten this year. The Gopher combo of solid pitching and heavy hitting from a senior laden lineup has lead Minnesota to a 15-3 record in conference. While Minnesota remains atop the conference, the Hoosiers are stuck in the middle with several other Big Ten foes.\nCoach Bob Morgan said the Gophers are a complete team in all facets of the game.\n"If you make a mistake or do anything they take advantage of it," Morgan said. "They've got good team speed. Defensively they don't make any errors and their pitching was solid. The big thing for why we struggled this weekend is offensively because we weren't quite good enough this weekend."\nThe struggle started in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday after Friday's series opener was rained out. Senior Jacob Cary got the start for IU and went the distance but suffered his second straight loss after opening the season 7-0. IU's offensive woes started with only one run on six hits as the Hoosiers fell 5-1.\nIn the second game of the double dip IU's offense awoke from its slumber but couldn't finish the job. IU outhit the Gophers 10-8 but stranded seven Hoosier runners on base.\nIt looked like IU would finally break on top in the series in the bottom of the sixth. The Hoosiers trailed 5-3 and had runners on second and third and nobody out. But the Gophers battled back and retired the next three Hoosier batters in order to retire the side and go on to win 5-3.\nThe Hoosiers' best hopes coming into Sunday's games were to at least salvage a split and remain in the Big Ten race. And Morgan looked to junior Chris Behrens to give his team that chance. Behrens came into the contest hot, having thrown a complete game victory in his last outing. \nBehrens continued his success, engaging in an ole fashion pitching duel with Gopher pitcher Jay Gagner. \nIU did break through for one run in the first on senior Vasili Spanos' RBI single. Both teams' bats went cold as the two clubs put up goose eggs for the next four innings until sophomore Corby Heckman hit his first home run of the season to extend IU's lead to 2-0 and set the stage for drama in the seventh.\nWith two on and two out, Behrens glared in against defending Big Ten MVP and the potential winning run in senior Luke Appert. And Appert, with the count full, hit a lined shot to right field that appeared to be fair but was ruled foul by the home plate umpire. Appert would have at least doubled on the play and it would have scored two runs.\nBehrens rebounded to strike Appert out swinging on his next pitch and preserve IU's win 2-0.\n"To be honest with you I was happy they called it foul," Behrens said. "It would have been a little different turn around than if it was fair."\nBehrens said his control and the Hoosier defense were big as IU didn't commit any errors. \n"Just going out there and throwing strikes really and knowing that my defense can help me out," Behrens said. "We were only up 2-0. They were behind me the whole game and no matter what I did they made plays. That was the key to the entire game right there."\nIt appeared as if IU had a chance at earning the split in the series finale until the sixth inning. With the game tied at two apiece, the Gophers exploded for seven runs in the sixth inning to put the game and IU's quest for a split out of reach in a 10-2 Gopher win. \nMinnesota scored off of five different Hoosier pitchers on its way to the ten runs and eleven hits and batted around in the sixth.\nSpanos said the reason for IU's troubles this weekend was simple, as Morgan's club has lost four of its last five games.\n"Hit," Spanos said. "We don't hit period. Until we figure out how to hit we won't win"