INDIANAPOLIS – UIndy fought for a pair of one-run victories in a doubleheader sweep of visiting Wisconsin-Parkside Friday, winning by scores of 6-5 and 2-1 at Greyhound Park.
GAME ONE: UIndy 6, UWP 5The Greyhounds (26-17, 20-10 GLVC) gutted out a tough 6-5 victory in the series opener, scoring in each of the first four innings on UWP starter Riley Phillips (2-2).
In the first, with two outs already on the board,
Brady Thomas hit a sharp single into left center to keep the inning alive.
Sean McCracken then delivered his team-leading seventh homer of the season, giving the Hounds an early 2-0 lead.
More clutch two-out hitting increased UIndy's lead in the second to 3-0.
Storm Joop reached on an infield single and moved up on a throwing error, and was brought home on
Daniel Lee's RBI line drive single.
The visiting Rangers (11-22, 10-20) tagged UIndy starter
Matthew Kaplanis for a run in the top of the third, cutting their deficit to 3-1.
McCracken again drove in Thomas in the bottom half of the frame, smoking a double deep off the centerfield wall to make it 4-1.
Heads-up base running from Joop made it 5-2 after four complete. Joop singled to right, and took second on an errant throw from Ranger left fielder Bryan Wade. He moved up to third on a wild pitch and wound up scoring on Lee's sacrifice fly.
The Rangers scored three unanswered runs, however, including a two-run homer from Jake Kolasinski to knot the game at 5-5 heading to the bottom of the seventh,
After three scoreless innings UIndy broke the tie when Thomas dropped in a perfect bunt single to the right side of the infield, bringing in
Zach Jacobs for the decisive run.
Kaplanis (7-0) tossed seven innings, allowing five runs (three earned) and a walk while striking out two.
Dylan Stutsman threw a 1-2-3 eighth, and
Brett Collins picked up his sixth save of the season by closing the game in the ninth.
McCracken fell a triple shy of hitting for the cycle, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored. Jacobs, Thomas and Joop each finished with two hits, and Thomas and Joop totaled two runs apiece. Lee drove in a pair of runs, going 1-for-2 at the plate.
The win also ensured UIndy's 10th consecutive 25-win season.
GAME TWO: UIndy 2, UWP 1Friday's closer was just as closely-contested as the first game, as
Jordan Tackett and Josh Serio battled back-and-forth on the mound.
It was the Rangers who scored first, plating an unearned run on Tackett in the opening inning, but it would be the only run UWP would score all game.
The Hounds tied up the game in the second, as
Luke Andrade delivered a well-placed squeeze play that allowed
Colin Hawk to score.
UIndy had an opportunity to take its first lead of the game in the bottom of the fourth, putting runners on second and third with no outs. But Parkside's Serio (5-4) escaped the jam unscathed, recording outs on the next three at-bats.
The Greyhounds finally broke the scoreless streak in the bottom of the sixth. Hawk led off with a triple deep to left center, and Joop's bat remained hot as the freshman designated hitter drove in Hawk with a sacrifice fly to right field, making it 2-1.
Tackett (4-4) went 6.2 innings before Collins was brought in from the bullpen. The sophomore righty surrendered five hits and an unearned run, striking out three Ranger batters.
Collins entered with the tying run at first, and slammed the door shut to earn his second save of the day and seventh of the season.
Hawk went 3-for-3 and scored both UIndy runs in the finale, and as McCracken did in the opener just fell one task shy of a cycle. Joop finished the day 3-for-5 with a RBI and two runs scored.
The two squads will meet tomorrow to finish the series with a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. ET. With inclement weather in the forecast there is a possibility the games will be postponed until Sunday, so stay tuned to UIndyAthletics.com for any updates.
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