Indiana Baseball: Hoosiers Pummel Purdue 17-2 in Nonconference Game
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Even though Wednesday's baseball game with Purdue didn't count in the Big Ten standings, it still meant a lot to Indiana. Winning 17-2 was nice, and completely embarrassing the Boilermakers was just icing on the cake.
It was a beatdown of epic proportions. It was the largest margin of victory in the series for Indiana since 1961, nearly 60 years ago when they won 19-2. The Hoosiers had 16 hits and batted around twice, forcing the mercy rule on the Boilermakers after seven innings. They also scored all those runs without the benefit of a single home run.
Indiana coach Jeff Mercer is thrilled with his hitters' approach at the plate.
"A lot of the things you're seeing now are things that we installed last year,'' Indiana coach Jeff Mercer said. "In year two of the system, guys are applying things differently and comprehending that information. It's paying off.''
This one was over before it started, really, with the Hoosiers (7-3) coming through an ugly first inning with a 7-1 lead. The frame took 48 minutes, and featured 85 pitches, four walks, three hit-batsmen. and two Purdue errors.
The Boilermakers (6-5) actually struck first, taking advantage of some wildness from Indiana starting pitcher McCabe Brown. He hit two batters and walked two more, allowing a run without anyone hitting the ball. All three outs came on strikeouts, so he threw 39 pitches without a single ball being put in play.
The Hoosiers answered with seven runs in the bottom of the inning, their first game at home after nine games down south. They took advantage of two walks, a hit batter and those two Purdue errors.
First baseman Jordan Fucci had the big blow, a three-run double to right-center. Cooper Trinkle, who got the start at second base, drove in two more with a single. Drew Ashley also drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
Indiana simply kept piling it on practically every inning. Cole Barr singled in the second and scored on a Collin Hopkins single. Four walks in the fourth inning led to three runs, with Ashley driving in two with a single to make it 11-1.
The Hoosiers scored six more runs in the fifth, getting six singles and sending 11 men to the plate to go up 17-1.
Fucci is the perfect example of that hard work that's going on between games for the Hoosiers. That big first-inning hit was the result of some swing changes the past week or so.
"We went back in the cage and watched some video and worked on what I was doing wrong,'' Fucci said. "It helped me slow down, which is good because I was swinging at a lot of bad pitches.''
The game was called after seven inning because of the 10-run rule.
Every Indiana starter had at least one hit. Barr was 3-for-4 and Fucci was 2-for-4 with five RBIs. Ashley, Elijah Dunham, Hunter Jessie and Jeremy Houston all had two hits.
"I know the rivalry here is pretty harsh, and there was some talk going in (to the game),'' Fucci said. "It feels good, definitely, to get one on them.''
Next up for the Hoosiers is a four-game series at home this weekend against San Diego.