Pyne Produces First Walk-Off of the Season in 7-6 Win Over Illinois

Indiana head coach Jeff Mercer was impressed with Josh Pyne's maturity at the plate as the freshman third baseman continued his hot streak with a walk-off single down the third base line.

IU Athletics

BLOOMINGTON, IN – When Josh Pyne digs into the batters’ box, he blocks out everything. He didn’t even hear the Hoosier faithful chanting his name as he stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

“It was a little bit nerve wracking,” Pyne said. “I’m not going to lie.”

After seeing the first pitch down in the zone, the freshman from Bloomfield, Ind. stepped out of the box and calmed himself down. The next pitch ricocheted off the backstop, and Max Johnson was tagged out trying to steal home and win the game. The runners didn’t advance, so Pyne now stood at Bart Kaufman Field with one out and runners on first and second.

Pyne worked the count to 3-1, knowing he’d see a fastball next. The pitch ran in on his hands, but Pyne got his barrel to the ball and shot it down the left field line. The speedy Bobby Whalen scored easily, and Pyne delivered Indiana’s first walk-off of the season in a 7-6 win for Indiana.

WALK 👏 OFF 👏 pic.twitter.com/Qdqr1AeRPU

— Josh Pyne (@_joshpyne_) April 29, 2022

“It was in my head that I may be put in a position here that I’ve gotta come through for the team,” Pyne said. “It worked out pretty well.”

Pyne won Big Ten Player of the Week last week, and his hot streak continued on Friday. Pyne went 2-for-4 with three RBI and the biggest hit of the day. Indiana head coach Jeff Mercer was impressed with Pyne’s maturity in a big spot, especially since he wasn’t sure what he’d get from Pyne before the season. Pyne missed the entire fall with an injury, and Mercer couldn’t see him do anything.

“[Pyne] came back and just said ‘I’m taking this job,’” Mercer said.

Pyne has now started 41 games for the Hoosiers at third base, and has a .310 batting average with five home runs and 42 RBI. He’s now Indiana’s three-hitter and a vital piece to an offense that recorded 14 hits on Friday.

“I thought [Pyne] would be a fine player,” Mercer said. “But to see him do the things he’s doing right now, I had no idea.”

Mercer credits Pyne’s maturity as a freshman to his family upbringing and high school program at Linton-Stockton. Mercer said he wishes he had a magic solution to recruiting, but at the end of the day he just looks for athletic, tough kids.

“[Pyne] is a great southern Indiana kid,” Mercer said. “There’s tough kids down here and they love to represent their home state, and he’s doing a great job. I’m so happy he’s a Hoosier, and I’m daggone proud to wear the same jersey as him every day.”

Pyne and the Hoosiers scored six runs off Illinois starter Cole Kirschsieper, who Mercer considers one of the best pitchers in the country. Kirschsieper entered the game with a 5-2 record and a 2.62 ERA, but gave up his most runs in a start this season against Indiana on Friday.

Indiana center fielder and leadoff hitter Bobby Whalen set the table all afternoon with a 4-for-5 day at the plate and four runs scored. Two-hitter Hunter Jessee went 2-for-4 with two RBI, and Carter Mathison and Tyler Doans each finished with two-hit games.

Mercer said the best at-bat of the day came from Jessee, who drove in Whalen on a line drive up the middle after working Kirschsieper deep into the count. This gave Indiana a 1-0 lead in the first inning.

“That is a professional at bat in every sense of the word,” Mercer said. “Dutiful, unselfish, gets his job done and scorches a ball. [Jessee] has been terrific.”

Indiana scored four runs in the first two innings, and starting pitcher Jack Perkins showed toughness to escape two bases-loaded jams in the first two frames. Perkins said it can be easy to get into a negative mindset when he sees the bases loaded, but he has been working on having a progressive mindset in tough situations.

After facing similar situations this season and giving up a run or two, Perkins said he has evolved as a pitcher to better face difficult scenarios on the mound. Being in that situation before, Perkins now tells himself that he is tough enough to get through it.

“Having that positive mindset that I’m good enough to get these hitters out and get the team in the dugout giving up zero runs,” Perkins said. “That warrior-type mindset.”

Perkins settled in and allowed just one baserunner during the third and fourth innings. His day was over after pitching 5.2 innings with seven hits, two runs, four walks and four strikeouts. Grant Holderfield replaced Perkins and allowed five hits, four runs, one earned run, zero walks and four strikeouts.

Reese Sharp was Indiana’s winning pitcher after shutting Illinois down in the final 1.1 innings. Sharp allowed one hit, zero runs, zero walks and one strikeout. And after his strikeout to keep the game tied before the bottom of the ninth, Sharp and the Hoosiers were fired up.

“Absolutely electric,” Pyne said. “That was big time. [Sharp] is a killer. He comes in and does his job time after time, so it’s just electric in the dugout and it gives us momentum in the dugout.”

With this win, Indiana moves to 19-23 on the season with a 5-8 record in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers and Illini are back at it on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Bart Kaufman Field, and Mercer expects the same competitive team to show up.

“They just won’t quit,” Mercer said. “They just keep showing up. You got injuries, and it doesn’t matter. Guys just keep fighting, and that’s what you’re proud of. The record comes and goes, but an attitude is forever and they have an attitude and I love it.”