INDIANAPOLIS - University of Indianapolis student-athlete
Brady Ware had a game for the ages Friday. In leading the Greyhounds to a 14-0 shutout in the second game of a doubleheader against visiting Drury University, the graduate student out of Poway, Calif., pulled off one of the rarest of feats, tossing a no-hitter on the mound while hitting for the cycle at the plate in the same game.
Ware's no-no was the first for a Greyhound since Jordan Tackett's in 2015, while his cycle is first since Jake Hartley's in 2013. He is the first Hound to accomplish both in the same game, and perhaps the first-ever NCAA student-athlete to accomplish this feat.
Ware opened his legendary performance striking out two of the first three batters he saw. Offensively, he was the catalyst for a massive eight-run third inning for the Hounds, hammering a ball over the right field wall for the first run of the contest. As the Hounds batted around in the inning, Ware added another extra-base hit in th third, this time with a base-loaded triple to the right-center gap.
Just an inning later, Ware grabbed two more ribbies on a rocket down the left field line, earning a two-base hit and making it 11-0 Hounds. On the mound, he struck out the side in both the fourth inning to keep the Panther bats guessing.
The time came in the bottom of the fifth, leading off just as he had done in the second, where Ware accomplished the cycle. Jumping on a 1-1 breaking ball, he roped it through the right side to make it a 4-for-4 day with five RBIs.
A three-strikeout sixth was followed by two quick outs in the seventh. With everyone on their feet, hoping for a chance to see history, Ware induced a harmless pop-up to shallow centerfield for the final out.
GAME 1 | UIndy 8, Drury 7
After a
Drew Donaldson RBI double in the first inning, the Panthers answered back with a four spot in the second to build a lead. It later grew to 7-3 in the top of the sixth.
Down but not out, the Hounds went to work in the bottom of the sixth, starting off with a RBI double by
Easton Good.
Brandon DeWitt and Donaldson followed with RBI singles to make it a one-run ballgame.
Caleb Vaughn was the man to tie the contest, rifling a ball through the left side game to make it seven-all.
Despite the prowess shown by the hitters, it was the patience they showed that won them the first game, with
Nick Lukac working a bases-loaded walk to give the Hounds a 8-7 edge that ultimately stood.
GAME 2 | UIndy 13, Drury 0
Aside from the historic and electrifying performance by Ware, multiple Greyhounds performed admirably in the contest. Donaldson had another solid performance, going 2-3 with three RBIs and a walk.
Easton Good, the Hounds speedy nine-hole shortstop, was quality out of the bottom half of the lineup, going 2-4 with a RBI and a stolen base to his name.
Jared Bujdos reached three times via walk, scoring three times and swiping two bags.
UP NEXT
The Hounds close out the series tomorrow, looking for a sweep of the Panthers. First pitch is set for 12 p.m.
