INDIANAPOLIS – Just a few hours after rising 10 spots in the most recent national polls, the No. 12-ranked University of Indianapolis baseball team took to the field for a pair of region games against Tiffin University.
 
In game one, the Greyhounds (17-8) got the bulk of their production from the bottom of their lineup on their way to a 7-5 win. Game two saw the Hounds' offense stymied by the Tiffin pitching staff as the Dragons earned the split with a 5-0 upset win.
 
GAME ONE: UIndy 7 – Tiffin 5
Each team went quietly in their first trips to the plate before the Greyhounds broke things open in the second. Two walks and a single loaded the bases for Conor White, who got the Hounds on the board with an RBI single back up the middle. Will Smithey tacked on to the lead one batter later with a two-run single to left and Brendan Dudas would make it 4-0 later in the inning with an RBI fielder's choice.
 
Two innings later, the Greyhounds' No. 9 hitter added a little insurance. Making just his third career start behind the plate, Smithey took the first pitch her saw from Nate Brunty and deposited it over the left field wall for his first career home run, a three-run shot that made it a 7-0 game.
 
After allowing one run and scattering six hits over the first six innings, Pete Allen ran into trouble in the seventh after allowing four straight hits to open the inning. Tiffin would bring the tying run to the plate with no outs in the inning before Chris Boettcher slammed the door shut on the rally to earn his first save of the year.
 
Allen (1-0) went six-plus innings, walking one and striking out four to earn his first victory of the year. Hitting from the 7-9 spots, the trio of Kyle Orloff, White and Smithey combined to go 5-for-8 with six RBI and five runs scored in game one.
 
GAME TWO: Tiffin 5 – UIndy 0
After falling behind by a run in the first, the Greyhounds had their first big chance to put a crooked number on the board when they loaded the bases with two outs in the second and Smithey coming to the dish. However, he rolled over a 2-2 pitch to short for an inning-ending fielder's choice.
 
Tiffin added another run in the fourth and shut down another UIndy rally attempt in the same inning. The Hounds put runners on second and third with one out in the fourth but once again couldn't cash in on a quality scoring chance.
 
The Dragons put the game out of reach with three more runs in the sixth while the Hounds weren't able to mount another threat the rest of the way. UIndy was held to just three hits in game two.
 
Connor Mailloux (0-1) took the loss after allowing one run on three hits over the first two innings of work. Rick Krieger (1-2) worked five innings for his first win of the year.
 
UIndy jumps back into GLVC play this weekend, heading north for a four-game series against Lewis University. The Hounds and Flyers will open up play on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. eastern time.