AVON, Ohio – The No. 5-ranked University of Indianapolis baseball team, behind potent offensive firepower, claimed their first victory of the 2024 season, beating the Notre Dame College Falcons by a 12-1 mark on Friday afternoon.
 
Playing at Mercy Health Stadium on the coast of Lake Erie, the weather reared its ugly head in game two of the day for the Hounds. Heavy snowfall caused the umps to delay the conclusion Greyhounds' originally scheduled game against the Lake Erie Storm until tomorrow. The game will resume at top of the eighth with the game tied 6-6, with a restart time set for 11 a.m.
 
INS & OUTS
The Greyhounds sent out fireballer Jackson Kirkpatrick, who threw a clean first frame. The scoring picked up in the second, with UIndy scoring its first runs of the season via Nick Lukac and Will Spear singles. The Falcons were the beneficiaries of some poor control as Kirkpatrick beamed a batter with the bases loaded, resulting in the first NDC run of the contest.
 
In the third, the Hounds scratched across another, with Dakota Sill, the Missouri S&T transfer, forcing himself into scoring position with a single, a stolen base and advancing on a groundout. But the highlight came from his fellow former Miner in Cole Hampton when he hit an absolute missile into centerfield for his first hit of his Greyhounds career.
 
 
However, much like last year, there was a big inning looming for the Hounds, and that came in the fourth where a Brayton Bowen walk opened the frame. From there, six straight Greyhounds reached back, with Sill picking up two RBIs off a nice piece of opposite field hitting, ballooning the score to 6-1.
 
A Nick Lukac sacrifice fly added on another run and also moved the single-season stolen base record holder in Caleb Vaughn to third. That set the stage for the wheels to be unleashed as with a deek towards home, Vaughn forced a throw to third and successfully stole home!
 
 
The Hounds eventually batted around, allowing Will Spear to nab his second RBI of the day. After three innings of work, Kirkpatrick was relieved and in relief was Carter Nowak who was lights out for the next three innings, as the poor control of the Falcons' walked home two more batters.
 
Blake Sarjent came in the seventh to close the game, snagging a pair of strikeouts.
 
INSIDE THE BOX
- It was a great UIndy debut for Sill, with the outfielder going 2-4 with three RBIs and a walk.
- The baserunning prowess didn't get faltered by the weather, as the Hounds racked up seven bags on the day.
- Zack Williams showed off the eyes on the day, recording four walks as the Greyhounds new starting first baseman. He converted three of those walks into runs.
- Nowak's innings were the first time the senior has pitched in two years, having battled injury.
 
UP NEXT
At 11 a.m. ET tomorrow in Avon, OH the Hounds will resume their tight matchup with the Lake Erie Storm. Following the conclusion of that game, the Hounds will play another against the Storm, closing out the weekend.