BOX SCORE
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio- Senior
Ben Sondgeroth (Rock Falls, Ill./Rock Falls) delivered a dramatic three-run homerun in UIndy’s 5-4 win against second-seeded Grand Valley State in the opening game of the NCAA D-II Midwest Regional at V.A. Memorial Stadium Thursday afternoon. After trailing for eight innings, Sondgeroth’s blast with two down in the top of the ninth proved to be the game winner for the Greyhounds.
Indianapolis (41-19) also got solo homeruns from
Travis Capps (Indianapolis, Ind./Warren Central) and
Casey Potter (Grand Forks, N.D./Red River), but the Greyhounds couldn’t get the timely hit until the 9th. UIndy stranded nine runners through the first eight innings before Sondgeroth’s three-run bomb in the ninth.
The Lakers, who came in as the 11th-ranked team in the nation, got things going early with a two-run shot off the bat of second baseman Kyle Gendron in the bottom of the first inning. Including Grand Valley’s conference tourney here at V.A. Memorial Stadium last weekend, Gendron’s shot was his fifth homer in four games at the venue.
After GVSU starter Andre Benjamin sat down the first seven Greyhounds, eight-hole hitter Travis Capps put a charge into one in the third, driving the ball to right center for his second homerun of the year to halve the Laker lead.
A walk and two singles from Grand Valley in the bottom of the third not only scored a run for the Lakers, but also convinced UIndy head coach
Gary Vaught to pull Werner to start the fourth. After finally getting out of the third, Werner got the quick hook by allowing three runs on four hits and two walks while striking out three in three innings.
Vaught went to all-region second teamer
Cory Rupert (Indianapolis, Ind./Southport) to start the fourth, and after giving up a leadoff single, retired three straight.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Lakers (41-14-1) got a two-out double from catcher Bobby Walmsley to make 4-1, but the Hounds got the run right back on a homer from Potter. With one out in the top of the seventh, the Greyhound right fielder sent a 2-2 offering to dead center for his second hit of the game, making it 4-2 Lakers.
That’s where the score stayed heading into the ninth inning. Grand Valley closer David Bowman retired the leadoff hitter via a strikeout, but
Justin Russell (Lafayette, Ind./Jefferson) sent a 1-1 pitch back up the middle for a single. The hit not only brought the tying run to the plate but also extended Russell’s hitting streak to 19 games.
Bowman garnered another K for the second out, but
Chase Kittinger (Carmi, Ill./Carmi White County) kept the inning alive by shooting a grounder through the right side that advanced the speedy Russell to third and put runner at the corners for Sondgeroth.
Sondgeroth battled to run the count full before driving a pitch over the right center wall to give the Hounds their first lead of the game. The resulting three ribbies gave the senior 74 for the season, tying the program’s all-time single-season RBI record.
With the top of the Laker lineup due up, Rupert came out for the bottom of the ninth and calmly orchestrated a 1-2-3 inning with three ground outs to ensure the win for Indianapolis.
Rupert upped his record to 9-1 on the year in a gusty six-inning outing. He allowed just one run in his first relieve appearance of the year; included in his line were six hits, two walks and two Ks.
UIndy advances to face the winner of Thursday's night cap between third-seeded Southern Indiana and four seed Northern Kentucky.
Note: Thursday's win versus Grand Valley State was UIndy’s first against the GLIAC power, as the Hounds are now 1-6 all-time against the Lakers…Russell needs just two hits to break the school's career hits record, while Sondgeroth is just two RBI shy of setting a new UIndy career RBI mark.