MARION, Ill. – The UIndy baseball team survived, 9-8, in a four hour and 18 minute extra inning marathon game against Drury in game one of the GLVC Tournament.

UIndy jumped out ahead to an early 8-2 lead before Drury scored six unanswered runs of their own to send the game to extra innings. Luke Smock scored the game's eventual winning run after a passed ball in the top of the 11th inning sent Smock home, and put UIndy back ahead. The Hounds never trailed in the game, only being tied with Drury twice, which is the third straight game the Greyhounds haven't trailed at any point in the game.

This is also UIndy's sixth extra inning game played this season, with their last two extra inning games both being 11 inning games.

INS & OUTS
UIndy was all over Drury from the get go, scoring eight runs in the first four innings of action. Five different Greyhounds were responsible for the early scoring for UIndy, Cole Hampton got things going with a two run RBI double in the first, while Ian Kennedy drove in two more runs in the first and fourth innings. 

The Hounds weren't done though, as Chase Mason's RBI double, Luke Smock's RBI and Nick Lukac's fielder's choice RBI tacked on three more runs for UIndy in those first four innings to put UIndy in front 8-2.

Nic Besecker got the start on the bump today for the Hounds, making his third start of the season in 11 appearances. Besecker went 5.1 innings, allowing eight hits and two runs while also striking out three Panthers. But the Panthers found their success once the Hounds went to their bullpen.

The Panthers found themselves with runners on base all day, 18 runners were left on base for Drury, but weren't able to drive them in until the final three innings. The Panthers rallied with three runs in the seventh and ninth innings to knot the game at eight apiece after a Heston Gray RBI single up the middle brought home the tying run.

UIndy went scoreless for most of the game after their hot start, only recording four hits until Luke Smock's single to the shortstop and stolen base in the top of the 11th, got the Hounds a runner in scoring position. A balk got Smock to third before a wild pitch from Drury's Luc Fuller brought home Smock for the 9-8 lead.

That stolen base in the 11th inning was Smock's fifth of the day, tying Tré Hondras for a team single game high which he recorded against Truman (4/11/25).

Frankie Klemm was the Hounds' final pitching change of the game, where closed the game out with a strong 2.1 innings, and only allowing one hit while striking out one. Klemm, who stayed perfect on the season in the win column, picking up his fifth win, sent the Hounds to Friday night with a 9-8 win over the Panthers in game one of the GLVC Championship Tournament.

UP NEXT
UIndy will stay in the winner's bracket of the GLVC Championship Tournament and take on the winner of No. 1 Lewis and No. 8 UMSL at 8:30 p.m. ET at Mtn Dew Park.