Despite playing four games in three days, Indiana baseball showed no let up as it defeated Ball State University 7-5 at Bart Kaufman Stadium on Tuesday. The Hoosiers finished their nine-game home stand 6-3 with a four-game winning streak.
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Jackson Yarberry got the start for the Hoosiers in his first outing since March 2 against Mount St. Mary’s University. The Cardinals got on Yarberry quickly, with four of the first three batters reaching on singles, leading to a 2-0 Ball State lead.
After going hitless in the first, Indiana threatened in the second with two hits and runners on the corners. Redshirt sophomore infielder Joey Brenczewski grounded out to second, giving the ball back to the Hoosiers senior lefty Deron Swanson.
Swanson, making his fourth appearance of the season, had his longest outing of the year as he threw 4 1/3 innings, collecting three strikeouts and allowing just four hits and a walk. He also gave up zero earned runs despite leaving runners on first and second when he exited in the sixth inning.
In the bottom of the third, redshirt sophomore outfielder Korbyn Dickerson was able to walk down the first base line and watch the ball fly as he clobbered a two-run blast to deep left field. Not only did it tie Dickerson with Oregon junior outfielder Mason Neville for the conference lead with 15 home runs but extended his Big Ten lead in RBIs to eight as he has 56 this season.
The Hoosiers were just getting started in the third.
Freshman infielder Cooper Malamazian hit a single through the right side of the infield with the bases loaded to bring in two more runs. Freshman infielder Will Moore advanced to third on the single and scored on a wild pitch to cap off a five-run third inning to put Indiana up 5-2.
Indiana tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning behind junior outfielder Devin Taylor’s two-RBI single. The top three hit leaders in the Big Ten, Dickerson, freshman first baseman Jake Hanley and Taylor, all play for the Hoosiers.
Sophomore left-handed pitcher Ryan Rushing entered with a 7-2 lead and got out of a jam to hold the five-run margin. Rushing pitched 1 2/3 efficient innings, surrendering just one hit, no walks and three strikeouts before handing the game off to freshman lefty Brayton Thomas.
Thomas struck out the side in the eighth inning but loaded the bases in the ninth, which forced Indiana head coach Jeff Mercer to turn to senior left-handed pitcher Ryan Kraft. After pitching April 6 against Michigan State, Kraft came in to record the final three outs of the game as the Hoosiers went on to win 7-5.
A three-game road series against Illinois is next up for the Hoosiers, which is set to get underway at 7 p.m. Friday at Illinois Field in Champaign, Illinois. All three games will be streamed on Big Ten+.
