INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 4 seeded UIndy baseball team rebounded and hung on to a 11-8 win over the No. 6 seeded Northwood Timberwolves, to send the Midwest Regional to a decisive game three.
Today's game is tied for UIndy's largest win in a Midwest Super Regional game in their previous five Super Regional match ups, the other three run victory came against Quincy in the 2023 Super Regional.
The Greyhounds also had two milestones reached today, Austin Bestul broke the program record for the most career appearances for UIndy with 87, breaking Dylan Stutsman's record of 86 which was set in 2018. The other milestone set today was from head coach Al Ready who earned his 200th career win today in his seventh season as the Greyhounds' skipper.
INS & OUTS
After dropping game one where UIndy only recorded six hits and scored three runs, the Hounds responded with a much different hitting performance, notching 13 hits and 11 runs, including scoring a run in all of the first five innings. Similar to yesterday, Cole Hampton got the scoring started with a two run RBI single in the first, followed by two doubles to drive in three more runs from Austin Bode and Easton Good in the second inning.
Luke Smock scored the Greyhounds' seventh run on an RBI bunt in the third inning, followed by two home runs by a solo shot from Bode and a three run blast from Good in consecutive innings to extend UIndy's lead to 10-3 after five innings. Bode and Good's home runs today were their 16th combined this season, Bode reached double digits with 10 home runs, while Good reached six for the season.
It was business as usual for the Maple Marauder, Bennett Rogers, who dealt a stellar seven inning, 123 pitch outing with nine strikeouts, including ending five straight innings with a strikeout. Rogers got the Hounds out of some early trouble, as the Timberwolves had the bases loaded in two of the first three innings, but Rogers only allowed two runs.
Northwood has made their name this postseason by outscoring their opponents 23-1 in the last seven games in the eighth and ninth innings, and that continued today as the Timberwolves racked up five runs in the eighth, but Northwood left 11 runners on base today, including two in the team's explosive five run eighth inning.
But that five run eighth was not met by some resistance from UIndy, as Brayton Bowen gave UIndy the insurance run they needed with a no doubt home run off the UIndy ARC Bubble in the top of the ninth to extend UIndy's lead to three. Bowen has been slashing the ball at an incredible rate in the month of May, as in 12 appearances the first baseman has five home runs, 12 hits and 18 RBIs.
Frankie Klemm finished the game in relief for UIndy, picked up his first save of the season in 1.2 innings with two punch outs, and earned the game two victory for UIndy, 11-8.
UP NEXT
The Hounds have forced a winner-take-all game three in this year's Midwest Super Regional, with the first pitch of Saturday's crucial game set to begin at 12 p.m. at Bill Bright Field.
