GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The UIndy baseball team pushed past No. 5 seeded Ashland in its first game of the NCAA Midwest Regional tournament 7-1, behind six runs in the seventh and eighth innings.
A strong pitching performance from Diego Cardenas and efficient hitting from the Greyhounds helped put UIndy in prime position from the jump. UIndy had five batters record multi-hit games today, which is the second consecutive game the Hounds have had at least five batters with multiple hits in a game.
The Hounds never trailed in the game, only being tied with the Eagles once, which is the fourth game in the last six Greyhound outings that the team hasn't trailed at any point in the game.
INS & OUTS
Today's game was relatively clean cut for the Hounds, starting with Cardenas who pitched his second eight inning outing of the 2025 campaign. Along with the eight innings, he only allowed six hits which is his sixth start this season with six hits or less given up, and his ninth start with at least six punch outs.
Both teams started off slow on the offensive end, with only two runs scored in the first six innings of play combined between both teams. Nick Lukac got things going for UIndy in the first with an RBI single to center field, while the Eagles responded two innings later with a solo home run from Ben Peltz to make it 1-1 after three innings.
But the Hounds' bats got hot in the seventh inning and beyond, as they picked up nine hits and six runs in the seventh and eight innings.
Brayton Bowen,
Cole Hampton,
Easton Good and
Luke Smock were those responsible for driving in those six runs for UIndy. Bowen and Good both notched multi RBI games with their two singles and a double in the two inning onslaught of runs from the Hounds, to make it 7-1 UIndy after eight.
Nic Besecker came in to close things out for UIndy in the ninth, and was met with a hungry Eagles team looking to make a comeback. Ashland picked up two runs to cut into the lead and make it, 7-3, but Besecker composed himself and finished things off with two strikeouts and a ground out to push UIndy into the next round of the NCAA Midwest Regional Tournament.
UP NEXT
The Hounds will stay in Grand Rapids, Mich. for their next game tomorrow at 12 p.m., against the winner of No. 1 seeded Davenport and No. 5 seeded Ashland.
