Indiana Drops Midweek Matchup at No. 7 Louisville Despite Quick Start

Indiana jumped on Louisville with a first-inning run, but the No. 7 Cardinals were able to withstand this early pressure by taking advantage of costly errors and manufacturing runs.

IU Athletics

Two pitches into the game, Indiana centerfielder Bobby Whalen was standing on first base with a single up the middle. 

Designated hitter Matthew Ellis has been the Hoosiers' most reliable run producer all year, and he delivered in a big spot again on Tuesday. Ellis found a hole in the right side of the infield to score Whalen and give Indiana an early lead. 

It was important for Indiana to get off to a fast start, but Louisville is the No. 7 team in the country for a reason. The Cardinals punished Indiana for its costly errors by manufacturing runs throughout the game in a 7-2 win over Indiana.

Ty Bothwell made his first start of the season for Indiana and pitched two clean innings to start the game despite a walk and two hit-by-pitches. But Bothwell walked the second batter of the third inning, and Louisville slugger Dalton Rushing hit his 15th home run of the season to give the Cardinals a one-run lead.

cRushing Zingers.#GoCards pic.twitter.com/4A60pXLw2H

— Louisville Baseball (@LouisvilleBSB) May 11, 2022

Nathan Stahl relieved Bothwell after the home run and ended the inning three batters later with a strikeout looking. But in the fourth inning, the defensive miscues started for Indiana. Stahl's wild pitch allowed Ben Bianco to advance to second, and a fielding error by Hunter Jessee in right field allowed Bianco to score.

Carter Mathison broke the Indiana freshman home run record last week, and his bat stayed hot on Tuesday. His single in the sixth inning drove in Jessee to make it a one-run game, but Louisville's Ben Metzinger got this run back with a solo home run in the bottom half of the inning. 

Entering the bottom of the eighth inning, Indiana was in a two-run game with the No. 7 team in the country. Grant Holderfield was in to pitch, and he allowed singles to the first to Louisville hitters. 

Attempting to add a few insurance runs, Brandon Anderson laid a bunt down the third base line. Indiana catcher Peter Serruto pounced on the ball quickly, but his throw to first base pulled Brock Tibbitts off the bag and rolled into right field, allowing one runner to score. Louisville showed intelligence and discipline at the plate in this inning by adding a run on a sacrifice fly and scoring another on a ground ball with runners on the corners to take a five-run lead and seal the victory.

B8 | @brananderson8 lays down the perfect sacrifice and a wild throw keeps 'em running.

💻 https://t.co/AeBIb2GCeg#GoCards pic.twitter.com/VsLyW5pkZt

— Louisville Baseball (@LouisvilleBSB) May 11, 2022

Six of Indiana's seven hits this game came from its top five hitters in the lineup, and the bottom four spots combined to go 1-for-15 with five strikeouts and one walk. 

Conversely, Louisville found production up and down its batting order. Five players combined for all eight hits, and the four Cardinals who didn't record hits combined for six walks and three runs. This allowed Louisville to extend innings and take advantage of Indiana's errors in the field. 

With this loss, Indiana moves to 22-26 on the year. The loss doesn't affect the Hoosiers' seventh place standing in the conference as they approach a Big Ten tournament where the top eight teams qualify. A crucial series this weekend awaits at Bart Kaufman Field as Indiana takes on Minnesota, who is last in the Big Ten with a 4-14 conference record. 

First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, 4 p.m. for Indiana's Senior Day on Saturday and 1 p.m. for the series finale on Sunday. 

Related stories to Indiana baseball: 

• THIRD STRAIGHT SERIES VICTORY: After losing game one, the Indiana bats caught fire to combine for 19 runs in games two and three. The Hoosiers have won three straight series as they battle to qualify for the Big Ten tournament. CLICK HERE
• PERKINS' WARRIOR MINDSET: After overcoming Tommy John surgery and an up-and-down career at Louisville, Jack Perkins found a home at Indiana through his faith in God. He's now Indiana's Friday starter, leading the Hoosiers through confidence and toughness. CLICK HERE
• INDIANA TAKES SERIES OVER ILLINOIS: Indiana scored eight runs in the fifth inning of Sunday's rubber match against Illinois. Freshman Carter Mathison belted two home runs, and Reese Sharp tossed 4.1 scoreless innings in relief to claim a crucial series victory. CLICK HERE