IU sweeps Monday doubleheader vs. Wildcats

Maybe the IU baseball team should play more Monday doubleheaders.\nWith weekend weather conditions forcing the Hoosiers to play a Big Ten twin bill, IU (13-13, 3-5) took two games, 5-4 and 5-2, from Northwestern to split the four-game series with the Wildcats.\n“It’s hard to win two against anybody in one day,” freshman second baseman Evan Crawford said. “It felt real good to get these two wins. It gives us a little breathing room because if we hadn’t won these two, the Big Ten would have been real hard.”\nThrough most of Monday’s first game, the Hoosiers continued to struggle at the plate, only mustering four hits through five \ninnings. Then in the sixth, the IU bats exploded for five runs to give them a 5-1 lead.\nPinch hitter Josh Phegley started the scoring burst off with a two-run double in the left-center gap. The freshman catcher came into the game hitting just .194 in 72 at-bats but came through when his team needed it.\n“I have been struggling and just trying to clear my head,” Phegley said. “I was trying to forget about it and keep swinging it like I know I can swing it. It came at a big time.”\nCrawford would come up three batters later and hit a two-run single that extended IU’s lead. \nIn the seventh, just when it seemed IU had the game in its grasp, Northwestern mounted a comeback off of freshman starter Jason Ferrell who came into the inning allowing only one run on one hit. IU coach Tracy Smith turned to sophomore closer Joe Vicini to shut the door. \nWith the bases loaded and two outs, Vicini induced a 6-3 double play to clinch the 5-4 win for the Hoosiers. Vicini earned his second save of the season.\n“Joe doesn’t have the best stuff in the world,” Smith said. “He doesn’t have a 90-mph fastball or a knee-bending curveball. But what he does have is great toughness and great mentality. It doesn’t bother him (inheriting runners).”\nThe Hoosiers continued their hot play in Monday’s second game, getting on the board in the second inning on an unlikely play. With freshman right fielder Sterling Mack on third, Phegley fouled out down the first base line, allowing Mack to race home for the first run of the game.\n“I was just trying to hit a fly ball, and it was off the plate so I dipped a little bit,” Phegley said. “When I saw it off the bat, I didn’t think it would get (Mack) in, but the first baseman tripped or fell or something. Line drive in the book, I guess.”\nNorthwestern would counter with two runs in the top of the third, but the IU offense responded, adding two of its own in the bottom half of the inning and one more in both the fourth and sixth.\nJunior starter Doug Fleenor allowed only six hits in throwing a complete game, his first of the year. Fleenor pitched himself into a jam in the ninth, but his middle infield backed him up, turning a 6-4-3 double play to end the game.\n“As I told the guys, I’m proud of them,” Smith said following the game. “We did what we had to do to have any chance of staying in this thing. We had to get these two today. Now, we just keep going.”\nThe Hoosiers will return to action today at Sembower Field against non-conference rival Evansville. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.