IU vs UK and Plenty of Television to close season

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Sommer in trouble again with 2 on 0 outs as a leadoff double and walk have UK in business.

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IU can thank their lucky stars SEC uses MLB style replay. Sommer tossed lazily to 3rd on an attempted bunt that was initially ruled safe but upon replay review out at 3rd. 2 on 1 out. Also Fineman taken over at catcher this inning. 

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Only a 1 batter reprieve as UK gets an RBI single through SS to make it 3-1 and runners on corners.

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Huge mental mistake no. 2 as Fineman throws a ball into left field when they had the runner dead at 3rd leaning. Clearly not the night for IU catchers as they have cost the team 2 runs directly as Sommer strikes out the following batter that would of ended it but its 4-1 with a runner at 2nd and 2 outs. Pitching change Sommer will be charged with 4 runs I believe all earned but really only 2 were his fault. He was not the problem tonight. The IU offense and catcher defense the problem.

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Bierman into pitch by the way.

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IU gets first 2 on via walk in 7th facing a new UK pitcher who has the lowest ERA we have seen tonight at sub 4. 

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Just not our night. Richardson with no one out and full count robbed of a hit and runners stay put.

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Skrine with an RBI double to cut it to 4-2 but misses HR off the wall by half a foot that would of tied it. This park like Omaha (which is why I am not confident about Big Ten Tourney) does not give HR's at all. 2nd and 3rd one out UK changes pitchers.

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Unfortunately my instincts tell me this just is not our night between the 2 catcher mistakes and then this inning the diving catch against us and a missed HR by 2 feet. Could easily be tied or ahead tonight but baseball gods tormenting us tonight in a big way.

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Walker overwhelmed by new pitcher K's on 3 pitchers. Fineman with last chance in inning.

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Fineman K's and thats it as we stretch. Baseball gods owe us one after tonight. Hopefully they pay their debt in Ann Arbor.

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IU gives the run right back on an RBI single off Manous who has been by far our best reliever besides Lloyd all year.

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IU giveth but UK does not take as IU throws the ball away when they had runner dead at 2nd amd ball goes into left field but runner tried to score and tagged out at plate so its still 5-2.

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Nothing doing for us in 8th and down to final 3 outs as we go bottom 8.

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Final 5-2. 

Not our night. We made more mental errors than I have seen in a while and also the baseball gods did not help us. Also this park is so not conducive to our style at all being huge with no carry on the ball. 

As I was afraid of when I saw UK's numbers while they are not good they have ERA's that are severely inflated by the SEC and if they were in Big Ten they would have similar record to us. Also UK has owned us recently while interestingly we have completely owned Louisville our opponent next week who has been far superior to UK overall last few yrs. 

If you subscribe to the theory which I do that we no longer have a chance to host and just need to finish as high as possible in Big Ten this was least important game left as it does not hurt our conference standing and we are basically locked into tourney otherwise as a 2 or 3 seed and a top 50 loss to a bubble UK team doesn't hurt you. Also UK has stunk it up in the SEC but is very good outside the SEC.

On to Ann Arbor which is really important. Interestingly the ball park is set up to be pitcher friendly with a normal west wind causing the wind to blow straight in. However, this weekend they are calling for Easterly winds which will make it hitter friendly which will be a nice change for our style given the wind was blowing straight in against Illinois and tonight we faced a huge pitcher friendly park.