Series Recap: Indiana suffers first road sweep in 3 years against Iowa

In a weekend that started with a pitchers’ duel and ended with back-to-back run-rule losses, Indiana Baseball couldn’t find a way to slow down surging Iowa.

The Hoosiers dropped all three games at Banks Field, falling to 23-21 overall and 12-12 in Big Ten play with just two conference weekends remaining.

Despite strong efforts from the pitching staff at times, IU’s offense struggled to keep up. Indiana managed only three total runs across 24 innings and was outscored 25-3 over the final two games of the series.

The sweep marked Indiana’s first in conference play since 2023 and its first road sweep in nearly three seasons.

Indiana comes up short in extras on Friday night

On a night when Indiana’s pitching staff gave everything it had, the Hoosiers couldn’t find the one swing they needed. Despite a gutsy performance on the mound and countless chances at the plate, IU dropped a heartbreaking 2-1 loss in 10 innings to Big Ten frontrunner Iowa on Friday at Banks Field.

Four Hoosier pitchers combined to strike out 10 batters and allow just three extra-base hits across 9.1 innings of work. Redshirt senior Gavin Seebold was the standout, delivering 4.1 innings of gritty relief. He matched a career high with seven strikeouts and worked a clean bottom of the ninth to push the game to extras, giving Indiana a real chance to steal the opener on the road.

But the big hit that’s eluded Indiana all season once again proved costly. The Hoosiers stranded 13 runners and managed just four hits — all singles — against a tough Hawkeye staff. Their only run came early, when junior second baseman Tyler Cerny drove in a run with a base hit in the first inning.

Freshman Hogan Denny came inches away from being the hero in the 10th, ripping a 110-mph line drive with two men on base. But on a cold, blustery night in Iowa City, the ball hung up just long enough for the left fielder to track it down. IU couldn’t cash in the opportunity, and Iowa wasted little time ending it in the bottom half, walking it off with a bunt single.

Seebold was tagged with the loss, despite one of his finest performances of the season. Indiana’s bullpen recorded 23 outs while giving up just two runs, but the offense couldn’t get over the hump, dropping Indiana to 1-3 in extra-inning games this season.

Indiana’s bats stay quiet in blowout loss on Saturday

After a frustrating extra-inning loss on Friday, Indiana came to the ballpark Saturday hoping to flip the script. Instead, it was Iowa that stayed hot, using timely hits and taking advantage of free bases to hand the Hoosiers a 13-2 run-rule defeat in seven innings at Banks Field.

IU’s offense showed brief signs of life with a four-hit fifth inning, but otherwise struggled to get anything going against an Iowa pitching staff that kept the Hoosiers off balance all afternoon. Indiana finished with just seven hits — only two for extra bases — and couldn’t claw its way back after falling behind early.

Graduate starter Cole Gilley ran into trouble against the relentless Hawkeye lineup, getting chased in the fourth inning. Gilley allowed six runs and left with the bases loaded, setting up a big Iowa inning.

Junior Aydan Decker-Petty did his best to limit the damage with 3.0 innings of steady relief, but the hole was already too deep. Iowa eventually broke it wide open with a bases-loaded walk and a grand slam to walk it off via the run-rule in the seventh.

Indiana’s pitching staff didn’t help itself, issuing 10 free passes between five walks and five hit batters. Five of Iowa’s RBIs came without the benefit of a base hit, the Hawkeyes manufacturing runs with small ball and patience at the plate.

Freshman Cooper Malamazian provided one of the lone bright spots for Indiana with a two-hit day, recording the 13th multi-hit game of his young career. Still, the Hoosiers scored just three runs in the first 17 innings of the weekend, needing to find answers quickly to avoid their first road sweep in nearly three seasons.

Hoosiers fall in another run-rule loss on Sunday

Indiana had no answers for Iowa’s pitching all weekend, and Sunday was no different.

The Hoosiers were blanked 10-0 in a run-rule shortened loss at Banks Field, as the Hawkeyes completed a dominant three-game sweep and solidified their spot atop the Big Ten standings.

IU’s offense never found a rhythm against Iowa right-hander Reece Beuter, who tossed six scoreless innings while striking out seven. Indiana managed just three hits in the series finale and grounded into two double plays that quickly killed any early momentum.

It marked the first time the Hoosiers were shut out since Opening Day against Oregon State back in February, and the first time they were held scoreless in Big Ten play since a loss at Iowa in 2022.

On the mound, graduate righty Ben Grable turned in a strong start individually, racking up a career-high eight strikeouts across four innings.

But a couple of costly errors and Iowa’s relentless approach at the plate allowed the Hawkeyes to pull away, scoring six runs off Grable and four more against sophomore reliever Jackson Yarberry.

It was the second straight day the Hoosiers were run-ruled, and the weekend capped off a tough stretch at Banks Field where Indiana has now scored just four runs across its last five games.

Sunday’s loss also marked IU’s first Big Ten sweep in two years, and its first road sweep since a trip to Iowa City in 2022.

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