Ball State piles up runs, rolls over Hoosiers 17-4

It has been more than two weeks since the IU baseball team has seen home. It seems that much time away from Sembower Field has taken a toll on the Hoosiers. IU was smothered by Ball State 17-4 Tuesday at Diamond Field. The 19-16 Hoosiers dropped their fourth game in their last five and come home with a 3-9 conference record heading into Big Ten play this weekend.\nThe Hoosiers were hit hard early by 24-11 Ball State. In the bottom of the first the Cardinals battled sophomore pitcher Joe Trucchio for three runs and three hits. Still, with no answer from the IU offense, Ball State continued its rally scoring another run on a homer over the left field fence by Cardinals catcher Matt Singleton.\nSingleton's blast was only the first of eight home runs hit in the game. IU would only account for two of those eight. \nJunior pitcher Clint Crosier came in to try and stop the Crimson bleeding, but only lasted one inning surrendering two earned runs off three hits and one strikeout. The two runs came off back-to-back home runs by designated hitter Marc Franz and second baseman Kyle Dygert for Ball State. \nFinally in the fourth inning the Cardinals changed pitchers and the Hoosiers had an answer. Ball State took out Ryan Degeeter who threw three innings of one-hit baseball and replaced him with Luke Begning. Begning gave up two home runs in that same inning. Senior right fielder Joe Kemp launched the ball over the center field wall, while two batters later junior left fielder Zach Boswell homered past right field. \nBall State went on a 7-0 run in the following two innings due to a four-run fourth inning that included a second home run for the Cardinal's Dygert. In the fifth inning Singleton added to his home run total with another blast off of IU sophomore pitcher Chris Hynes. It was Hynes' first start in 2005 since coming off an injury in the first game of the 2004 season. \nFreshman pitcher Brad Kramer escaped a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning and threw a scoreless eighth inning in an attempt to bring some relief from the bullpen. Runs from junior center fielder Reggie Watson and sophomore designated hitter Steve Head gave the Hoosiers their two final runs of the ball game. \nThis weekend IU comes home to play a four-game set against the Illinois Fighting Illini. The series opens at 3 p.m. Friday with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday. Sunday's game is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.