IU Baseball @ Michigan - 5/14 - 5/16/21

[Hoosierfan1901 6,013]

T7 5-2 Northwestern 

[Aaron 4,262]

A two out single makes it 13-5 IU.

[Aaron 4,262]

13-5 to bottom 8. We got everything back we gave up and one more. A lot of help from Michigan but great response to the adversity in bottom 7.

[Hoosierfan1901 6,013]

That was exciting 

[Aaron 4,262]

Another leadoff double for UM in bottom 8. Got an even larger lead now than before but please lets not make this hard again.

[Aaron 4,262]

These announcers are way to obsessed with balls hitting cars.

[Aaron 4,262]

Litwicki with the K for first out but then another single makes it first and third one out. Much like Iowa, Michigan really getting to our best pitchers not named McCade Brown (Sommer, Mudungo and now Litwicki). All need to be better if we want to get where we are capable.

[Aaron 4,262]

Another K for Litwicki makes it 2 outs.

[Aaron 4,262]

And now it's 13-6 after a double down line. Would of been 13-7 except runner fell down rounding third and had to go back.

[Aaron 4,262]

Another single makes it 13-7. This is just not OK from our two best relivers.

[Brass Cannon 24,190]

Northwestern is sadly going to northwestern their game up

[Aaron 4,262]

Geesh. Another single makes it 13-8. Justin Parker our pitching coach better be all over Mudungo and Litwicki. It probably will not matter today as we got out of the inning, but cannot have this going forward or we have a huge issue.

13-8 to ninth.

[Aaron 4,262]

4 minutes ago, Brass Cannon said:

Northwestern is sadly going to northwestern their game up

They are just not good. Focus on Michigan. Get the next three including today and it's you and Nebraska head to head for Big Ten title in Btown next week more or less.

Remember Wildcats are coming off 3 week COVID pause.

[Aaron 4,262]

To bottom 9. Hope five run lead is enough but with way bullpen is going who knows.

[Aaron 4,262]

Tucker in to try to finish it.

[Aaron 4,262]

Richardson with an amazing diving catch moving fast in CF going to his right for a huge first out.

[Aaron 4,262]

Flyout to LF and Michigan down to final out.

[Aaron 4,262]

Flyout game over! IU wins 13-8.

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 8,834]

19 minutes ago, Aaron said:

Flyout game over! IU wins 13-8.

I thank God our game is on ESPN2 tomorrow. That was miserable. 

[Aaron 4,262]

Glad we won and our offense and approach at plate could not be better. The worry to me is that our bullpen which has been elite, is falling apart. For good reason, it appears Litwicki has lost his closer role and has been very bad lately. Mudungo I am less worried about as he has been fine until today. To not have a reliable Litwicki to close though is a huge problem and it's clear Mercer is not trusting him for good reason. He now has highest ERA on team of regular bullpen guys after having it at basically zero all year. Maybe using Tucker over him against Rutgers to close was a good thing as something has to change here.

The positive is Brown is back to himself for second start in a row and in a good way which is huge.

Now tomorrow for third straight week we have a must win game on Sunday. Bierman has been great and Michigan's third starter has been average at best and struggled to go deep into games and both teams have already dug deep into their bullpen.

Will be nice to have tomorrow on ESPN2. A win puts Michigan away and Neb-NW not playing tomorrow due to Covid (Sounds like a quit job by the Wildcats and excuse. Very weird they would play two games this weekend and get blown out and suddenly have 'covid' again but whatever). Either way it means a win tomorrow puts away Michigan at 2 back and we catch Neb. with Illinois game making it 1/2 game in either direction, heading to next weekend. A win tomorrow and it's basically down to us and Huskers. Iowa took themselves out today for sure and Michigan can all but be eliminated if we beat them tomorrow or its a three team race if we lose. Maryland is also lurking fairly close but probably to far back. 

Time to win another Sunday game we have to have with Bierman.