Box score

YPSILANTI, Mich.-  A football game broke out at the NCAA Baseball Division II Midwest Regional Saturday.  The 15th-ranked UIndy baseball team (45-14) won by a touchdown in a 21-14 final against Rockhurst University, boosting the Greyhounds to Sunday's regional final.

The top-seeded Hounds continue to roll through the 2012 postseason.  Since dropping the opening contest of the conference tourney, UIndy has run off eight straight and now finds itself one win from the D-II World Series.

The Greyhounds last made the regional final in 2009 before losing back-to-back one-run games to Grand Valley State.  UIndy's only World Series appearance came in 2000 when the club won two games to finish in third place nationally.


Things quickly developed into a shootout Saturday, as the game's first scoreless inning didn't come until the eighth inning.  The Greyhounds set season highs in a number of categories, including runs (21), hits (22), runs batted in (18), and total bases (32).

The Hounds jumped out to a 7-1 lead with a five-run third inning.  The frame began with three straight base hits, including a leadoff homer from DH Scott Mourey.  The solo blast was the first UIndy homerun of the postseason.

The Hawks (34-18) answered right back with four runs in the bottom of the third, and later earned an 11-10 edge after scoring six times in the fifth.

But the Hound retook the lead for good with a three-run sixth inning that featured a go-ahead double from first baseman Jake Hartley.

The knock-out blow came in the top of the seventh, however, as UIndy sent 10 hitters to the plate and scored six runs.  Shortstop Mike Page and third baseman Tyler O'Daniel each drove in two in the inning, with O'Daniel's ribbies coming on his third double of the game.

Though offense ruled the day, pitcher Patrick Kraft gets partial credit for the victory.  After a rough start, Kraft settled down to give the Hounds five innings of long relief to leave UIndy with plenty of available arms tomorrow.

Kraft got the win to improve to 3-0 on the year and was the only one of the game's nine pitchers to toss more than 2 2/3 innings.

Getting his first start of the tournament, catcher Brandon Stevens was one of three Greyhounds with at least four hits and two RBIs.  All nine UIndy hitters recorded at least one hit, one run and one RBI.

UIndy awaits the results of a pair of contests before it knows its next opponent.  The winner of this afternoon's Northern Kentucky/Grand Valley game moves on to face Rockhurst this evening for the right to play the Greyhounds Sunday at 1 p.m.  UIndy takes the 2012 regional title with a win, while a lose would force a second game in a winner-take-all contest.