Indiana Swept at Rutgers After Late-Inning Rallies

Indiana allowed eight total runs in the eighth and ninth innings across three games, suffering a series sweep in Piscataway, N.J. As the Hoosiers fought to salvage a win on Sunday afternoon, Rutgers hit two solo home runs in the ninth to win in walk-off fashion.

Indiana clung to a one-run lead as freshman Grant Holderfield took the mound in the bottom of the eighth inning of game one on Friday. Holderfield hit the first batter, centerfielder Bobby Whalen allowed the next batter to reach on an error and the Hoosiers were all of a sudden in a jam.

A sacrifice fly tied the game, but Holderfield walked the next batter to load the bases. The Indiana lefty was nearly able to wiggle out of trouble with a strikeout for the second out, but Rutgers two-hitter Evan Sleight found the left field grass to drive in two unearned runs. Rutgers claimed a come-from-behind 5-3 win in game one, creating a theme for the rest of the series. 

In the fifth inning of game two, Indiana catcher Matthew Ellis and left fielder Carter Mathison put Indiana on top with a pair of RBI. But similar to game one, no lead was safe for the Hoosiers.

After seven dazzling innings from starting pitcher Jack Perkins, whose day finished with three hits allowed, one earned run and eight strikeouts, head coach Jeff Mercer called on Braydon Tucker out of the bullpen. Tucker fanned the first two Scarlet Knights hitters, but Danny DeGeorgio singled through the right side to keep Rutgers alive.

Tucker proceeded to walk the following two hitters, leading to a three-RBI triple from Jordan Sweeney to put the Scarlet Knights on top. The Hoosiers went down in order in the ninth, and Rutgers completed a comeback for the second game in a row, winning 4-2.

And if you thought the late-inning magic was over, the Rutgers' bats still had plenty in store. But first, Indiana left fielder Carter Mathison unloaded on a pitch up in the zone for a grand slam to give the Hoosiers a five-run lead in the fifth inning. 

Starting pitcher Bradley Brehmer was cruising through four innings, but got himself in deep trouble when the top of Rutgers' lineup led off the fifth inning. Ryan Lasko started Rutgers off with a single, and things began to unravel for Brehmer after walking the next batter.

The Scarlet Knights would add three more hits leading to four runs before Brehmer was replaced by Reese Sharp as Indiana held on to a one-run lead with one out in the fifth. Brehmer's final line finished at 4.1 innings, 10 hits, seven runs, two walks and three strikeouts. Indiana designated hitter Matthew Ellis responded to the Rutgers rally by scoring Bobby Whalen on a fielder's choice play to give Indiana a two-run lead in the sixth. 

It was Sharp's game to finish as he toed the rubber with a one-run lead in the bottom of the ninth. Sharp induced a fly out to begin the inning, but Tony Santa Maria lasered the ball over the left field wall to tie the game. 

And like Saturday, Sweeney lived for the clutch moment as he launched a moonshot to left field for a 10-9 walk-off win, representing Rutgers' eighth run scored in the eighth inning or later in the series. 

With this win, Rutgers has now won 15 games in a row, moving to 30-6 on the season and 11-1 in conference. 

And not only did Indiana get swept this weekend, but it lost three winnable games in demoralizing fashion. This puts the Hoosiers at 13-21 overall with a 2-7 record in conference. Indiana will conclude its road trip with matchups against Miami (Ohio) on Tuesday and Cincinnati on Wednesday before returning to Bart Kaufman Field on Friday for a weekend series with Nebraska.