Indiana baseball picked up a crucial three-game sweep over Michigan State in a doubleheader Monday. After taking game one Sunday 6-4, the Hoosiers collected their second sweep of the season and first since Ohio State on March 14-16.
The Hoosiers shut the Spartans down in the top half of the first inning before exploding offensively in the bottom half. Two singles and a walk set up junior shortstop Tyler Cerny to reach first base on a hit by pitch to score the first of six first-inning runs. Redshirt sophomore infielder Joey Brenczewski and freshmen infielders Cooper Malamazian and Will Moore also contributed to the 6-0 start for Indiana.
The freshman barrage continued in the second inning with first baseman Jake Hanley slugging his eighth home run of the season.
For the second straight game, Indiana put its pitching staff in a good position with run support. Graduate student right-handed pitcher Ben Grable was the starter for the Hoosiers. He threw three innings and allowed three hits with one earned run along with two strikeouts. It was the first time since March 7 against Penn State Grable gave up one run or less.
With a 7-1 lead in the third inning, the Hoosiers tacked on three more runs with a two-RBI single from redshirt sophomore outfielder Korbyn Dickerson and Hanley’s second of three RBIs in the game.
In relief, redshirt senior righty Cole Gilley pitched the final four innings of the game. He struck out five batters and allowed just two hits and one earned run. It was the fifth time this season Gilley struck out five or more batters in a single game. He has 15 strikeouts in the last two games.
The Hoosiers tallied four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to put them up 14-2 which was enough for them to run rule the Spartans to officially take the series.
Indiana started out the second game in similar fashion with five first inning runs. Two batters hit by pitches, a single and a walk to Cerny provided the Hoosiers with 1-0 lead before freshman two-way player Caleb Koskie crushed a grand slam to deep right field. It was Koskie’s first career hit.
The Hoosiers scored a combined 11 runs in the first innings of the two games Monday.
Cerny hit his second home run of the day to grant the Hoosiers two more runs in the second inning and freshman outfielder Hogan Denny and junior outfielder Devin Taylor had RBI singles in the third to take a commanding 10-1 lead. Later in the third, Dickerson drove Taylor home on a double to left field.
The bottom of the fourth saw much of the same as freshman infielder Will Moore picked up his first career home run — a two-run shot to right field to extend the Hoosiers’ lead to 11.
Indiana’s pitching rotation showed up once again for the Hoosiers, starting with redshirt juniors right-handed pitcher Pete Haas and lefty Grant Holderfield. The two combined for four innings of work and allowed just one earned run on six hits and two walks.
Indiana quickly recovered from the solo shot in the top of the fifth inning by tallying its second five-run inning of the game in the bottom half. A two-run home run from Dickerson gave him the lead in the Big Ten with 54 RBIs on the season. Koskie continued his first career start with a bang, collecting two more RBIs on a single up the middle. The Hoosiers exited the inning up 17-2.
Junior right-handed pitcher Aydan Decker-Petty threw the final three innings of the game for Indiana. He struck out four players while surrendering just one earned run on three hits.
The Hoosiers scored in nine of 11 offensive innings on the weekend as they once again run-ruled Michigan State 18-2.
Indiana doesn’t have much time to celebrate its conference sweep as the Hoosiers close their nine-game home stand against Ball State University at 6 p.m. Tuesday. The contest will be streamed on Big Ten+.
