All-around effort gives IU sweep

Led by solid pitching and an offensive outburst, the Hoosiers (7-5) extended their winning streak to six games after sweeping their series with Cleveland State (0-3) this weekend. The sweep also enabled the Hoosiers to move above .500 for the first time this season.\nIn the first game of the series Friday, the Hoosiers struck early and often. With runners on the corners, junior outfielder Joe Kemp doubled, scoring both runners as well as giving the Hoosiers the early lead. Later in the same inning, senior catcher Cody Wargo belted a two-run homerun for his first hit of the season. Altogether, the Hoosiers scored six runs in the first inning to take the early 6-1 lead. The Hoosiers struck again in the fourth, when senior outfielder Kevin Mahar blasted a three-run homerun. The Vikings weren't able to recover and eventually went down 10-2. Sophomore pitcher Josh Lewis (1-1) struck out four while scattering four hits across six innings to earn his first win of the season.\nSenior shortstop Seth Bynum said the team played well in every aspect of the game.\n"We started hitting the ball well, and we had some good pitching to back up our hitting," Bynum said. "We just drove in a lot of runs."\nThe offensive onslaught continued Saturday, as well. Clinging to a 7-4 lead entering the bottom of the eighth, the Hoosier bats came alive. The team posted 11 runs, leaving the Vikings almost no chance for victory. Mahar and junior third baseman Corby Heckman both went 3-5 with four RBIs in the lopsided 18-4 victory. Mahar said the team was able to take advantage of the Vikings' bad pitching.\n"We came out swinging well. They left some pitches up, and we were able to drive them," Mahar said.\nThe dominance over the Vikings continued Sunday. The Vikings scored first and looked poised to make the final game closer than the previous two, but the Hoosiers scored six runs in the first three innings to take a 6-3 lead. Starting pitcher junior Steve Nielsen (1-0) was pulled after the third in favor of freshman Matt Saba. Saba (3-0) was able to shutdown the Vikings through four solid innings of work, striking out two and allowing no runs. The Vikings inched three runs closer in the top of the eighth, but it wouldn't be enough, as they lost the series finale 13-6. Heckman went 2-3 with three RBIs and three runs, while Kemp went 3-4 with one RBI. \nThe Hoosiers have heated up since their 1-5 start, winning their last six games to move to 7-5 on the season. IU coach Bob Morgan said the team's play has been increasingly better since the beginning of the season.\n"We're starting to get more confidence, and we're swinging the bats better than earlier this season," Morgan said. "We're starting to play better overall, but we're still not where we need to be."\n-- Contact staff writer Cory Steger at csteger@indiana.edu.