Indiana baseball took on the University of Cincinnati on Wednesday night for its second road game of the week, looking for its first win since April 12. After losing to Miami University (Ohio) on Tuesday, the Hoosiers pulled out a commanding 11-3 win against the Bearcats to end their four game losing streak.
A solo home run from Cincinnati junior Griffin Merritt and a two-run home run from Indiana freshman Brock Tibbitts started the game in quick fashion, as both teams sent a ball over the outfield wall within the first two innings.
Indiana increased its lead a few innings later, scoring two runs in the fourth inning and four in the fifth.
Freshman Carter Mathison and graduate student Tyler Doanes both put Indiana on the board with two solo home runs in the fourth inning. In the fifth inning, Indiana was able to bring in four runs without putting the bat on the ball.
The Hoosiers loaded up the bases and brought in two runs as Mathison and sophomore Sam Murrison were both hit by a pitch. Cincinnati also walked Doanes and threw away the ball on an error to bring in two more runs to extend Indiana’s lead to 8-1.
Neither team scored another run until the eighth inning when Cincinnati brought home a run with an RBI single. Both teams tagged on a few more runs in the ninth as a combined 5 runs crossed the plate for both teams.
The Hoosiers added on to their lead in the top of the ninth inning, scoring three runs to take an 11-2 lead. Cincinnati sophomore Ryan Nicholson knocked in two more runs in the bottom of the ninth, but Cincinnati fell short and Indiana recorded its fourteenth win of the season.
Wednesday’s game marks the end of a 10-game road stint for the Hoosiers. Indiana will return to Big Ten play this weekend, playing host to Nebraska in a three-game home series.
The Hoosiers are currently 2-7 in the Big Ten, and look to increase that record as well as their overall season record against the Cornhuskers, who are 4-5 in conference play. The two teams face off Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and noon on Sunday.
