“It's baseball; it happens.”
Almost-home runs robbed at the wall, line-drive double-plays that deflate rallies and blunders on the basepaths. Indiana underwent all three Tuesday evening in the team's first shutout loss of the season, 4-0, at Indiana State University.
Indiana's Brock Tibbitts described the game as “unfortunate” regarding his near 3-run home run in the first inning of Tuesday's game that stalled at the wall. The sophomore infielder continued it was unfortunate Indiana State left-fielder Adam Pottinger leaped at the wall and snatched Tibbitts' near 2-run home run in the eighth inning when Indiana trailed 4-0.
Tibbitts concluded by saying; “it's baseball; it happens.”
Indiana head coach Jeff Mercer's words were mostly the same. “Baseball is baseball.” In March, the Hoosiers built a reputation as the comeback kids — accumulating six come-from-behind victories. Some players have said opposing leads are never out of reach.
As Indiana trailed 4-0 entering the eighth inning, that version of the team began developing. Phillip Glasser's drag-bunt base hit and Bobby Whalen's poked single through the left side of the infield put two leadoff runners on base with no outs.
This past Sunday, Indiana scored eight runs in the ninth inning to defeat Penn State 22-11. Though the next batter after Whalen, freshman outfielder Devin Taylor, lined into a double play. Taylor struck the ball hard, but just in the range of Indiana State shortstop Randal Diaz.
"The eighth inning, we have a great inning started there," Mercer said postgame. "Typically those innings break open for us… but baseball is baseball and doesn't always work out the way you would like. Now those middle innings become glaring and so are your mistakes."
Tibbitts and sophomore designated hitter Carter Mathison were the only Indiana players to record multi-hit games. Though, the two sophomores also ran into costly outs on the basepaths in the fourth and sixth innings — formerly standing in scoring position.
Mathison was caught stealing third base for the final out of the fourth. After striking the team's first extra-base hit, Tibbitts was tagged out running to third base on a fielder's choice to the left side of the infield. In the two instances, Indiana State only led 1-0.
Tibbitts admitted misjudging where the shortstop stood during the play. Considering Indiana State junior right-hander Cameron Holycross was pitching, who hurled five shutout innings over now-No. 10 Kentucky in the first week of March, it was already demanding for Indiana to score, even without baserunning errors. Holycross threw 4⅔ scoreless innings Tuesday.
"We just made that mistake two or three times now in the last week," Mercer said. "We've scored enough runs where it hasn't always hurt us but today was one of those days where they had good arms going, we had decent arms going, we can't give those away."
Mercer repeated that he wasn't concerned about Tibbitts' one baserunning mistake. Likewise, Mercer didn't sound distressed over Tuesday's loss — it's just one game. It's baseball; it happens. Indiana only dropped four places to No. 29 in the rating percentage index.
"We've played a good season," Mercer said. "If we stub our toe once that's not the worst thing in the world. I don't love it. You don't love it. They don't love it. We just didn't play very well. So you just got to get back up tomorrow and go to practice."
Besides, Tuesday's loss means Indiana splits the season series with Indiana State. The Hoosiers previously defeated the Sycamores by a heftier 15-5 scoreline at home March 21.
There are more consequential games to be played — such as Indiana's pivotal three-game series with Iowa at home this weekend.
Iowa was predicted to finish third in the Big Ten Conference via the preseason coaches’ poll. The Hawkeyes have beaten No. 1 Louisiana State University 12-4, and own the lowest team earned run average in the Big Ten. Indiana is tied for first place at 5-1 in the Big Ten.
“It's just getting back to work, getting back to we've done so far this year to have success,” Tibbitts said. “Now we're just getting ready for another Big Ten series and hopefully another series win."
