NEW ALBANY, Ind. – The 17
th ranked IU Southeast baseball team used a bases-loaded walk to secure a wild 16-15 win over IU Kokomo to kick off their home and conference schedule.
IU Kokomo used a sacrifice fly to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
IU Southeast answered with six straight singles in the bottom of the first to take a 3-1 lead.
Logan Murphy and
Nolan Bowser were both hit by pitches with the bases loaded to put IU Southeast ahead 5-1. An error allowed another run to score to make it 6-1 Grenadiers.
IU Kokomo scored four runs in the top of the second to cut the Grenadier lead to 6-5. A solo home run in the top of the third tied the game at 6-6.
IU Kokomo scored another run in the top of the fourth to take a 7-6 lead.
Logan Beard connected on a three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth to swing the lead back in IU Southeast's favor at 9-7.
A two-RBI single in the top of the fifth tied the game once more at 9-9.
IU Southeast responded in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI single by
Logan Beard to take a 10-9 advantage.
A two-run home run in the top of the sixth gave IU Kokomo the lead back at 11-10. The Cougars scored three more runs in the top of the eighth to extend their advantage to 14-10.
A
Colin Long RBI single in the bottom of the eighth made it 14-11.
Trevor Goodwin followed with an RBI single to make it 14-12. An error allowed the Grenadiers to score another run, and an RBI bunt by
Logan Murphy tied the game at 14-14.
IU Kokomo took a 15-14 lead in the top of the ninth.
IU Southeast tied the game in the ninth on a throwing error. A walk and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for the Grenadiers. After falling behind 0-2,
Logan Murphy took four straight balls to draw a bases loaded walk to secure a wild 16-15 victory.
Logan Beard,
Preston Shelton, and
Colin Long each had three hits.
Logan Beard drove in four runs, and
Logan Murphy drove in three.
Gavin Gentry got the win, throwing 3.1 innings.
Zak Rasener followed with 1.2 innings of work.
Gavin Sebby threw two innings in relief, and
Luke Shelton threw an inning.
Nick Pazos got the win, throwing the ninth.
"Wasn't a pretty game but we'll take a win anytime we can get it," IU Southeast head coach
Brett Neffendorf said. "I thought our guys were competitive and continued to battle when playing from behind the majority of the second half of the game."
No. 17 IU Southeast (9-5, 1-0) finish their home series against IU Kokomo with a doubleheader on Saturday.
