IU drops 2 games to Northwestern, will finish series today

Forty-degree weather and a cold-weather delay didn’t stop the IU baseball team from playing Northwestern on Sunday in the first of two double-headers.\nBut the weather also didn’t help the Hoosiers add to their win column.\nPlaying their second Big Ten series of the year, the Hoosiers (11-13, 1-5) dropped both games of its double-header 5-3 and 1-0 to the Wildcats (8-15, 2-4) on a chilly afternoon at Sembower Field.\n“Today is a very frustrating day,” said junior first baseman Jon Fixler. “Our pitchers did a great job in both games. When you get pitching performances like that, we should do whatever it takes to push a couple runs across.”\nThe Hoosiers did get on the board first in Game 1, though, in the bottom of the third inning. After retiring the first seven hitters to start the game, Northwestern pitcher Ryan Myers hit IU freshman left fielder Sterling Mack to give the Hoosiers their first man on base. After sophomore left fielder Chris Hervey flew out to center field, senior shortstop Keith Haas drove Mack home on a two-out single up the middle to give IU a 1-0 lead.\nIn the bottom of the fifth, the Hoosiers once again managed to take advantage of Myers. After the Wildcats pitcher walked the first two batters, Hervey roped a line drive into the gap between left and centerfield for a two-RBI double to make the score 3-0.\nAfter taking a comfortable three-run lead, sophomore pitcher Tyler Tufts began to unravel. Tufts started the top of the sixth with a groundout, but then he put two men on base with a walk and a single. With two outs, Northwestern first baseman Jake Goebbert cleared the bases on a two-run double, followed by another single to score Goebbert and tie the game at 3-3.\nThe bleeding did not stop there.\nOn a day where the wind blew to right centerfield, Northwestern right fielder Max Mann took advantage of the conditions and hit a two-run home run to culminate a five-run sixth inning for the Wildcats. Northwestern would not relinquish the lead, winning its first Big Ten game of the year.\nWhile the two teams combined for eight runs in the first half of the double-header, Game 2 provided slightly less offense as Northwestern won a 1-0 pitcher’s duel.\nIU freshman pitcher Matt Bashore continued his strong start to the year and pitched a complete game. But his team couldn’t muster any runs in the loss.\n“The pitching staff, they’ve been throwing well,” said IU coach Tracy Smith. “But you know what, you’re not going to beat anybody if you’re not scoring runs.”\nIn the bottom of the fifth, IU first baseman Brad Henke nearly put the Hoosiers on the board as his one-out triple failed to clear the fence, but IU couldn’t bring him home to break the deadlock. Northwestern did score in the following inning to take a 1-0 lead on a fielder’s choice that drove in catcher Geoff Dietz to win the game.\nThe second loss to Northwestern extended the Hoosiers losing streak to five games.\n“We’re going to fight through it, and we’ll be good to go,” Bashore said. “Just, something’s got to spark, get us going. Once it does, we’ll be good.”\nThe Hoosiers wrap up the series today against the Wildcats for their second doubleheader. The first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.