Photo Indiana Athletics
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – Behind five consecutive innings with a score, seven innings of no-hit baseball, and a game-high five runs scored in the eighth inning, the Indiana Hoosiers pounded in-state rival Ball State 16-1 for the victory at North Charlotte Regional Park Sunday.
Indiana (8-4), have won five consecutive ball games and improve to 4-0 at the Snowbird Baseball Classic, while tallying season highs in total bases (24), hits (17), runs scored (16), RBI (16) and walks (8).
Jake Kelzer (1-0), pitched seven innings of shutout ball, and captured his second career win striking out four, and only allowing one hit.
A truly dominating performance by IU, they logged their second biggest win and their eighth double-digit victory in series history vs. Ball State. Indiana moves to 28-26 in the all-time series versus Ball State. IU beat the Cardinals 16-0 in the first-ever meeting between the two schools in 1930.
18 Hoosiers appeared in the game with 14 of 16 registering hits. Ricky Alfonso, Craig Dedelow and Nick Ramos had two respectively.
Some of today’s highlights were Colby Strattens base clearing at-bat for his career debut, while knocking in three RBI in the eighth frame.
Alfonso’s base hit, which started Indiana’s best inning and Chris Sujka roped one to left field to score the lead-off hitter.
Ball State starter Scott Baker gave up seven runs in 3.2 innings via nine hits. Austin Cangelosi took advantage of Ball State pitchers by registering IU’s only home run of the game to start the fifth. Christopher Lowe recorded his second RBI while pinch-hitting in the fifth.
After back-to-back walks loaded the bases for Indiana with no outs and leading 9-0, the Hoosiers plated two more runs in the frame to push the score to 11-0 when Brad Hartong – who reached on a fielder’s choice – and Donley – who grounded out to second – knocked in RBIs.
The Hoosiers almost captured their first shutout on the year, however, Ball State got a run in the last inning of play.
