Bullpen, costly error spoil strong start from Sullivan as the 'Cats fall to Indiana in their Big Ten opener, 5-4

Bullpen, defense give up 5 runs in the seventh inning as Indiana spoils Sean Sullivan's big day on the mound. Sullivan threw six shutout innings before the Hoosiers handed the 'Cats their first conference loss on the year.

Game 1 of the weekend series between Northwestern and Indiana featured a pitchers duel between the 'Cats Sean Sullivan and the Hoosier's Jack Perkins before things got a little hairy late in the ballgame.

Perkins went right after the top of Northwestern's lineup to start the game--and despite a pair of singles from Anthony Calarco and Jay Beshears--were unable to push anyone across the plate.

A similar theme played out in the bottom of the first. 

Sullivan retired Indiana's first two batters of the game before pitching himself into a pickle. The middle of IU's order was able to battle back from three straight two-strike counts to deliver a single and a two walks to load the bases. No runs came across though, as Sullivan was able to work out of the jam after striking out the Hoosiers' Josh Pyne with two outs.

Both pitchers settled in over the next three innings, as Sullivan struck out 8 out of his next 11 batters faced and Perkins worked three scoreless frames while only surrendering one hit.

Perkins faced some trouble in the top of the fifth, as he hit Tony Livermore and JC Santini on back-to-back pitches before Ethan O'Donnell singled to right field to load the bases with no outs.

Pyne was able to make a diving stop on a sizzling Anthony Calarco grounder at third and throw Livermore out at home to preserve a 0-0 game, but Perkins walked Beshears on a 3-1 pitch to walk in a run and then Alex Calarco followed him by hitting a sacrifice fly and an RBI to deep left field to make it a 2-0 ballgame at the end of five.

With a 2-run lead, Sullivan cruised through the fifth and sixth inning before giving way to David Utagawa in the seventh. Sullivan finished his day having pitched six shutout innings with 11 strikeouts and three walks.

One of the best pitchers in the Big Ten. Period. https://t.co/CvA21YwgoP

— Northwestern Baseball (@NUCatsBaseball) April 1, 2022

While Sullivan continued to be his dominant self on the mound, the 'Cats bullpen  couldn't find similar success, as the Hoosiers batted around in the bottom of the seventh to take a 5-2 lead

Hunter Jessee led off the inning with a pinch-hit single back up the middle, before Utagawa induced a high-bouncing ground out to third from Samuel Murrison that advanced Jessee. Utagawa walked IU leadoff hitter Tyler Doanes next to put runners at first and second before Phillip Glasser laced an outside fastball down the third base line for a 2-run double to tie the contest at 2-2.

Coby Moe came in to relieve Utagawa after the double and surrendered a RBI single to Bobby Whalen to give the lead back to Indiana, 3-2.

After a passed ball let Whalen advance to second, Northwestern elected to intentionally walk Matthew Ellis--the Big Ten's leader in home runs (11)--before Brock Tibbitts popped out to second base for out no. 2.

Pyne followed Tibbitts by hitting an RBI single of his own to drive in Whalen and add to the Hoosiers advantage, 4-2. Carter Mathison walked to load the bases before an error by Tony Livermore at shortstop led to IU scoring their fifth run of the inning.

Moe was able to stop the bleeding after he struck out Murrison to end the inning.

The 'Cats remained unfazed though, as Beshears and Alex Calarco hit back-to-back singles before Vincent Bianchina reached base on an error to load the bases with no outs to start the top of the eighth.

Stephen Hrustich worked a pinch-hit walk in Northwestern's next at-bat to score Beshears from third and Patrick Herrera hit a RBI sac fly to drive in Calarco to reduce Indiana's lead to 5-4.

Livermore pushed a bunt past IU pitcher Braydon Tucker that originally scored Bianchina from third, but Hrustich was called out on interference after running in front of Doanes at second base on the bunt, who was trying to make a play on the ball. 

By rule, Bianchina returned to third and Bennett Markinson grounded out to end the top half of inning no. 8 with Indiana still holding on to the lead, 5-4.

After escaping the bottom of the eighth unscathed, the 'Cats led off the top of the ninth with an O'Donnell double followed by an Anthony Calarco walk, but were unable to push the tying run across as Beshears struck out, Alex Calarco lined out to the left fielder, and Bianchina flew out to deep center field to end the game.

The loss drops Northwestern to 9-12 and 0-1 in conference play, while Indiana improves to 11-13 and 1-0 to begin the Big Ten season.