UIndy Athletics

INDIANAPOLIS – The UIndy baseball team (7-1) continued its hot start to the 2020 season, taking both ends of a doubleheader versus in-region Oakland City Saturday afternoon, 3-0 and 9-1. First baseman John Carpinelli drove in four runs on the day, while starting pitcher Corey Bates had his most memorable performance as a Greyhound in game one.

The games were contested on a turf field at nearby Bishop Chatard High School due to less-than-ideal field conditions at Greyhound Park.

GAME 1 | UIndy 3, OCU 0
Bates was straight dealing in the opener. The Blaine, Tenn., product handcuffed the Mighty Oaks with seven shutout innings to earn his first win of the young season. He struck out the side three times in a complete-game, two-hit performance, while amassing an impressive 15 strikeouts.

Bates sat down the final 10 batters he faced. All told, just six Oaks reached base all game, with only one getting as far as second.
 

Furthermore, Bates' outing marked the most strikeouts by a Greyhound since Donovan Drake fanned 18 in a nine-inning game versus Southern Indiana in 2012 and the most in a seven-inning contest since Cory White K'd 15 against Lewis in 2009.

Offensively, the Hounds pushed across an unearned run in the second and never trailed. Two sac flies from Carpinelli followed, accounting for the balance of UIndy's runs.

GAME 2  | UIndy 9, OCU 1
The Greyhound bats delivered a three-spot early to keep the pressure on the Oaks. UIndy led off their half of the second with three straight hits, highlighted by an RBI double from Ty Williams. He would come around later on a single by Alex Vela before Trey Smith capped the rally with an RBI groundout.

The Hounds would add another tally before Oakland City scored its one and only run in the top of the fourth. UIndy all but put it away with a crooked number on the eighth inning, thanks to consecutive extra-base knocks from Carpinelli (double), Hunter Waning (triple) and Coby Taylor (double).

Reid Werner (3-0) got the win on the hill, striking out nine in seven strong innings. David Corbin and Chaney Morgan bookended Werner's outing with one scoreless inning of work apiece, each fanning two.

All told, the Greyhound pitchers combined to strike out 28 Mighty Oaks in 16 innings on the day.

UP NEXT
UIndy and Oakland City conclude their series with another doubleheader Sunday. First pitch from Bishop Chatard High School is set for noon Eastern.