May 22, 2014

 

Free bases befall Minnesota in pitcher’s duel with Iowa

By Chris Webb

Special to CollegeBaseballInsider.com

 

Minnesota right-hander Ben Meyer did everything he could to give his team a chance to stave off elimination.

 

But as he put zeros on the scoreboard, so too did a trio of Hawkeyes. In a game in which each team was held to only four hits, Iowa (30-22) benefited from free base runners in eking out a 2-1 win.

 

Iowa sophomore right-hander Blake Hickman, a converted catcher, matched Meyer in allowing only a single through the first 10 at-bats.

 

Scoreless through three innings, the fourth inning enjoyed an offensive outburst.

 

Minnesota (27-24) junior third baseman Tony Skjefte opened the fourth with a single, needing only one at-bat to return to the dugout. Senior first baseman Dan Olinger doubled to put the first run on the scoreboard. A second run in scoring position, Hickman buckled down, getting a pair of grounders around a Minnesota single, the latter an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.

 

Matching zeros thus far, Iowa matched the 1 Minnesota put on the scoreboard with a tally in the home half of the fourth.

 

Iowa shortstop Jake Yacinich reached base on a throwing error by Gopher counterpart Michael Handel. Moving to second on a sac bunt, Yacinich scored on a two-out RBI single by right fielder Taylor Zeutenhorst. The game then turned back to a showing of stellar pitching.

 

Hickman pitched the fifth inning before exiting after 74 pitches, the ball turning over to sophomore left-hander Jared Mendal. The southpaw picked up where Hickman left off, pitching three scoreless innings.

 

Mendal would receive the win, second in three decisions, the Hawkeye on the mound as Iowa clawed out a second run in the eighth with the benefit of another Gopher miscue. A one-out hit by pitch put second baseman Jake Mangler on board. A single by Yacinich moved his double-play partner to third. A sacrifice fly from DH Dan Potempa plated Mangler for the winning run in Iowa’s last at-bat.

 

The Gophers recorded a lead-off walk off Mandel before Rick Heller called on Tyler Radtke to close the game, stranding a Gopher at second over the final two outs. The relievers combined with Hickman to allow four hits over nine innings. Receiving the tough-luck loss, Meyer pitched eight innings, allowing two runs, one earned, off four hits with six strikeouts.

 

Illinois 6, Ohio State 5

 

After rain delayed the start of Thursday action by 1:30, Illinois show no sluggishness, scoring two runs in the top of the first inning, a two-out double by catcher Jason Goldstein scoring shortstop Adam Walton before Goldstein crossed home on a single by next batter Reid Roper.

 

Doubling their lead to 4-0 in the fifth, Illinois (32-20) used two singles following a leadoff bunt single by center fielder Will Krug. David Kerian singled with the bases loaded to plate Krug, Goldstein’s 4-6-3 double play was enough to stake another run on the board.

 

An error extended Ohio State’s fifth inning long enough for sophomore second baseman Nick Sergakis to pick up a two-out run-scoring single. The Buckeyes tied the game at 4-4 in their next at-bat, with the aid of an Illini error. A two-run error on an overthrow by Walton plated Buckeyes Josh Dezse and Jacob Bosiokovic, a single through the left side by shortstop Craig Nennig allowed Montgomery, the runner on base via error, to score.

 

Illinois regained the lead in the sixth. With runners on first and second, OSU starter Ryan Riga threw a ball away down the left field line trying to throw out the lead runner. Kelly Norris-Jones and Krug both scored on the play. Ohio State (30-28) added a run in the bottom of the frame, but closer Tyler Jay was called up with the bases loaded and two outs. Jay struck out Montgomery to end the threat, beginning a 2.1-inning outing to secure the 6-5 win.

 

Nebraska 3, Michigan State 2

 

Led by freshman center fielder Ryan Boldt, the first three batters atop the Nebraska (39-18) lineup recorded two-hit games as the Huskers turned back Michigan State (30-25) in front of a raucous, Husker-heavy crowd at TD Ameritrade Park, 3-2.

 

Opening the scoring with an RBI-double in the third, Boldt put the second run on the board with a run-scoring two-out single in the fourth. Trailing 2-0, MSU starter Cam Vieaux worked in and out of trouble, the Spartan ended three of the first four innings stranding a pair of Huskers on base. The squandered opportunities came back to bite Nebraska as two errors in the fifth allowed Michigan State to score two runs.

 

But the Huskers picked up their fourth and fifth doubles of the game, two consecutive two-base hits where Michael Pritchard scored Jake Placzek for the go-ahead and winning run. Nebraska junior left-hander Aaron Bummer was the beneficiary of Nebraska’s five extra-base hits, receiving the win with seven innings of four-hit baseball, allowing two runs, both unearned. Boldt, Plazcek and Pritchard all picked up a doubled in two-hit games. Michigan State’s Joel Fisher went 3 for 4 to lead the Spartans. Vieaux matched Bummer with seven strikeouts, receiving the loss in allowing three runs off 10 hits.

 

Indiana 5, Michigan 0

 

Starting pitchers Christian Morris and Brett Adcock each carried no-hitters into the sixth inning. Both pitchers surrendering their first hit in the sixth, Adcock was unable to keep the Indiana hitters at bay much long, the Hoosiers (40-13) erupting for five runs in the seventh to end Day 2 in Omaha with a 5-0 win over the Wolverines (29-28-1).

 

Lowering his ERA to 1.82, Morris, a first-team all-Big Ten selection, pitched seven innings of one-hit baseball. Relievers Scott Effross and Jake Kelzer pitched an inning each, preventing a Wolverine from recording a hit as the shutout victory gave Indiana its 40th win of the season, the 600th win in the career of head coach Tracy Smith.

 

After being quieted all evening by Adcock, IU broke through in the seventh led by Dustin DeMuth legging out a double on a pop up to shallow center. Casey Rodrigue added his second double of the tournament, scoring two runs. The inning was capped with Kyle Schwarber hitting his Big Ten-leading 11th home run to right center, plating the fourth and final runs of the inning.

 

Jacob Cronenworth picked up the lone Michigan hit, singling to right with two outs off Morris. Adcock pitched 6.2 innings, allowing four runs off three hits, walking three with seven strikeouts.

 

Notes

  • Indiana has allowed three earned runs or less in 49 consecutive games.

  • Nebraska’s win was its ninth by one run.

  • Ohio State’s loss was its 10th by one run.

  • Six of the eight tournament games have been decided by one run, IU’s 5-2, 5-0 wins the lone otherwise.

  • In two days, the Big Ten Tournament has matched the 2013 College World Series with two home runs.

  • Day 2 saw a turnout of 11,756 to TD Ameritrade Park.

Coach quotes

  • “They hit us in vulnerable innings. Traditional innings for a pitcher are innings one, five and nine. They got us in one and five for two-spots in those innings.” Ohio State’s Greg Beals

  • “Our guys found a way to come out and score runs early, put pressure on Ohio State all day, find ways to get big hits in clutch situations.” Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb.

  • “He really believes he’s not only one of the best pitchers in the conference but one of the best in the country. It’s fun to see from my seat.” Indiana’s Tracy Smith on Christian Morris.

  • “He was doing a nice job out of the bullpen and we thought this is what the future is going to be, let’s get him out there.” Rick Heller of starter Blake Hickman.

  • “Our inability to get a quality at-bat or base hit with guys in scoring position, we left a ton of guys in scoring position. You have to be able to come up with a hit with runners in scoring position if you’re going to advance.” Minnesota’s John Anderson following a four-hit effort by his team.

Friday’s schedule

  • Three-seed Illinois vs. six-seed Michigan State, 3:30 Central (Elimination game)

  • Four-seed Michigan vs. eight-seed Iowa, 7:30 Central (Elimination game)