Weekend Review: Indiana Baseball Sweeps Ohio State, Has Won Four Straight

Indiana baseball moved over .500 for the season after a 4-0 week that featured better pitching performances.

Indiana pitcher Deron Swanson celebrated on the mound at Bart Kaufman Field during a recent Indiana baseball game. / Indiana athletics

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Baseball is a sport where fortunes turn good or bad in a short period of time. Indiana experienced the good side of this phenomenon last week.

Starting the week with a 7-9 record, the Hoosiers finished it with an 11-9 mark. This after a mid-week victory at Indiana State and a home weekend sweep of Ohio State at Bart Kaufman Field.

The series with the Buckeyes was played as a doubleheader on Friday and a single game on Sunday after heavy rain on Saturday. Regardless of the schedule, Indiana was dominant.

The Hoosiers won the series opener 12-2 in eight innings. After spotting Ohio State a 2-0 lead, the Hoosiers scored 12 consecutive runs.

Jake Hanley hit two home runs while Korbyn Dickerson and Andrew Wiggins also hit home runs. Hanley finished the game with four RBI. Dickerson and Jake Stadler each had three hits.

Just as impressive was the pitching, which has not been on-song for Indiana most of the season. After starter Pete Haas gave up a pair of early runs, relievers Anthony Gubitosi, Drew Buhr and Gavin Seebold held the Buckeyes scoreless the rest of the way.

The nightcap was the only close game of the series as Indiana prevailed 8-7 in 10 innings.

Cooper Malamazian hit a home run in the contest as Indiana rallied for four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to force extra innings.

Hogan Denny singled to right center in the 10th, scoring Malamazian.

Malamazian was the reigning Big Ten Freshman of Week at the time. Now that honor belongs to Denny, who was given the award by the Big Ten on Monday. Denny had multi-hit games in each of the games against Ohio State.

In the series finale, Indiana rolled past Ohio State for a 14-3 victory ended in the seventh inning by the 10-run rule.

Indiana led 7-0 after two innings were completed and cruised to the victory. Andrew Wiggins, Devin Taylor and Korbyn Dickerson – Indiana’s 1-2-3 hitters – combined for six RBI. Denny was 2-for-3 with three RBI. Dickerson and Denny each hit home runs.

Indiana’s pitching staff scattered three runs. Starter Deron Swanson and relievers Gavin Seebold and Grant Holderfield combined on the effort.

Indiana coach Jeff Mercer shook up the rotation, using three different starting pitchers against the Buckeyes and it seemed to have a positive effect.

Indiana returns to action on Tuesday as Evansville comes to Bart Kaufman Field. Indiana makes the long trip to the West Coast for its next Big Ten series – a three-game set at UCLA.