Hoosiers pull out win in final game of series

Sunday morning came down an hour early for the IU baseball team, and it delivered in fine fashion. After losing their first two games of the season to Louisiana State, the Hoosiers pulled out a 7-6 ninth-inning victory to take game three and avoid the sweep. \nThe No. 34 Tigers defeated the Hoosiers on both Friday and Saturday, winning 7-1 and 5-4, respectively. But in the final game Sunday, the Hoosiers rode a four-run sixth inning to take the lead, only to have LSU draw even in the bottom half of the frame. \nBut a sacrifice fly from sophomore catcher Josh Phegley brought home junior center fielder Andrew Means. Freshman southpaw Kyle Leiendecker closed out his third inning of work in the game with a game-ending strikeout to lead the Hoosiers to victory. Leiendecker, who had three strikeouts Sunday, said he tried to keep things simple to get his first collegiate start – keeping the ball down and throwing strikes. \nSophomore shortstop Evan Crawford had three of the Hoosiers’ 14 hits in the win. \nIU coach Tracy Smith said it took his team a little time to get their “sea legs” after practicing indoors all winter, but he said his team got progressively better all weekend, culminating in Sunday’s win. \n“I just think we came out and we just flat-out beat them today,” Smith said Sunday while waiting for the team’s flight back. \nIn the first game, LSU struck for one run in the first and four in the third on their way to a 7-1 victory. By the time the Hoosiers got on the board, the Tigers had done all their scoring. Starting pitcher junior Tyler Tufts, who lasted just four innings, surrendered all seven LSU runs. \nFreshman first baseman Jerrud Sabourin went 2-for-2 in the game, including a single on his first collegiate at-bat that scored Phegley for the Hoosiers lone run. \nPhegley also spent time in left field in the first game, a move Smith said is geared toward trying to save the sophomore catcher’s legs for the Big Ten season. Phegley laughed when asked about his trip to left, saying, “I was praying that no one was going to hit one out there.”\nGame two saw the Hoosiers fall behind early again, as LSU scored in the third, fourth, fifth and seventh to take a 5-0 lead. A furious rally in the eighth brought IU within a run, but the boys from the bayou held on for the 5-4 victory. \nSophomore pitcher Matt Bashore started for the Hoosiers in the second game, going 4 1/3 innings and surrendering three runs, though only one was earned. Bashore also struck out nine.\nSophomore second baseman Tyler Rogers led the Hoosiers with a 2-for-4 outing, slapping two doubles and knocking in two runs. \nThe three-game set marked the first time the Hoosiers have been outside since practice started at the beginning of February, a trapping of the bitter cold Midwestern winter. Phegley said he and his teammates were surprised to hear from people in Baton Rouge that it was cold in the bayou, the low Friday reaching a balmy 49 degrees. \nLeiendecker said it felt nice playing outside, and he said he’ll be returning with a souvenir of the warm weather. \n“Got a nice little sunburn on my neck,” he said with a laugh. \nThe Hoosiers take the field again next weekend, traveling to Clarksville, Tenn., for weekend games against Illinois State, Austin Peay and Valparaiso.