Pitching, 7 errors doom IU versus Illini

Pitching and defensive woes proved fatal for the IU baseball team Monday, as they dropped the finale of a four-game series with Illinois, 18-8.\nThe Hoosier offense had another strong performance in the contest, but was trumped by the Illini’s nine-run fourth inning. \nIn the inning, the Hoosiers (14-12, 3-5) faced 15 Illinois (17-8, 6-2 Big Ten) batters, walking three, allowing two to reach on errors and throwing three wild pitches. In total, the Hoosiers finished the nine-inning game with seven errors.\n“The errors are a part of it, but when we continue to give up big inning after big inning, that’s a concern for me,” IU coach Tracy Smith said.\nPitching problems have become the theme of the first half of IU’s season. Smith equates the issues with his pitching staff’s mental toughness.\nHe said when his pitchers face adversity they need to know “it’s not the end of the world. All they have to be focusing on then is there next pitch.” \nOn Sunday, Smith pulled sophomore starting pitcher Chris Squires in the second inning of the doubleheader’s nightcap after letting the first two Illini batters reach base and letting up a run in the previous inning.On Monday, Smith let sophomore starter Eric Arnett struggle through three and two-thirds innings, allowing 11 runs with only five of them earned, before pulling him.\n“We probably stayed with our starter too long today, but that’s a result of not being consistent out of the pen,” he said. “At some point, you would like to know what it’s going to be, good or bad, so you have some idea of which way to go.” \nSophomore pitcher Jarrett Casey came in for Arnett and finished the game, letting in seven more runs, six of them earned. \n“I think we are very, very immature on the mound right now,” Smith said. “It’s not about ability, because we are throwing the ball 90-some miles an hour. I’d love to say, ‘Hey, it’s just a fluke, it’s just this game,’ but it has become a tendency here lately.”\nThe tandem of Arnett and Casey combined to walk six Illinois batters, allowing 11 earned runs. \nIf pitching struggles weren’t enough, junior center fielder Andrew Means missed his first game of the season Monday with a wrist injury. Smith said the injury was sustained in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader when Means stole home successfully in the first inning. Despite the injury, Means played through both of Sunday’s games.\nSmith said the team is running tests on Means’ wrist and does not know when he will return. Means was in the dugout Monday but not in uniform, and had a brace on his right wrist.\nThe Hoosiers return to action Wednesday in Oxford, Ohio, as they take on Miami of Ohio at 6 p.m.