Box score
MUNCIE, Ind. – After trailing by six through six innings, the University of Indianapolis rallied for five runs in the seventh and had the tying run at first in the ninth. The visitors ultimately fell one run short, however, dropping an 8-7 final to Division I Ball State.
Daren Johnson (pictured) continued his hot streak by recording three hits, two of which cleared the outfield fence.
Johnson accounted for all the Hounds’ runs through the first two-thirds of the game, as both his bombs were solo shots. The senior led off the second by driving the ball over the right centerfield wall and, two innings later, he deposited another one over the wall in left center. He is currently on a four-game hitting streak, garnering nine hits and seven runs over that span.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals (11-12) were able to get to UIndy starter
Adam Farag. Making his third collegiate start and first against a DI squad, the freshman was touched for five runs in 4.1 innings pitched. Sophomore
Matt Murphy relieved Farag in the fifth and was able to get the inning’s second out before surrendering a grand slam. Two Greyhound errors in the frame meant that all four of the resulting runs were unearned.
The UIndy ‘pen settled down after that, as Murphy and
Keith Hatfield retired BSU in order in the sixth and seventh, respectively, while
Jason Ornellas pitched a scoreless eighth.
Down by one with two outs in the top of the ninth,
Dalan Dugger singled to extend the inning and bring up Johnson. The UIndy first baseman sent a deep fly to right, but his bid for a third homer and a possible game-winning RBI fell just short as the ball was caught at the warning track.
Indianapolis (10-14, 6-6 GLVC) returns to Greyhound Park for a five-game home stint. The Hounds start with a 12 p.m. doubleheader versus Lewis on Wednesday, followed by a weekend series against Rockhurst.
Note: Johnson's two homer game was the first for a Greyhound since Brent Miller smacked two on 3/7/04 versus Winona State.
