UIndy baseball season ends as 9th-inning rally falls just short

CARY, N.C. – The run that has taken the University of Indianapolis baseball team from the No. 8 seed in the NCAA Midwest Regional to the Division II College World Series has defied logic.

Monday at the USA Baseball National Training Complex, the Greyhounds nearly outdid themselves.

Trailing by 7 runs in the bottom of the ninth of their elimination game against Cal State San Bernardino, coach Al Ready’s team scored five times and brought the winning run to the plate before finally running out of miracles.

The 10-8 loss ended UIndy’s season on a disappointing note. But say this much for the Greyhounds: They didn’t go down without a fight.

“How ‘bout those Hounds, man. We almost did it again,” Ready said. “All we wanted to do is give ourselves a chance. That’s all we could have asked for in that situation.”

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Those chances seemed to lie somewhere between slim and none after the Yotes sent 10 men to the plate, scoring six times on five hits, a walk and an error against UIndy starter Seth Spencer.

The hole only got deeper against a parade of relievers and could actually have been worse if not for several outstanding defensive plays by left fielder Adam Rakestraw, shortstop Easton Good and first baseman Zack Williams.

As the final inning began with the score 10-2, all that was left was for CSUSB to finish the game and send the Greyhounds back to Indiana.

But UIndy (39-21) wasn’t quite ready to go home.

The rally started with the bottom of the order.

A single by Denton Shepler. A walk to Brady Ware and a single by pinch-hitter Reid Rector loaded the bases for leadoff man Brandon DeWitt, who plated the first run with a single. The threat lost some steam when Drew Donaldson bounced into a double play.

Although a run scored, it left UIndy down to its last out. But the Greyhounds weren’t through.

Caleb Vaughn walked before Isaac Bair unloaded a three-run homer over the left field wall to make it a 2-run game.

“Our team just loves being down and coming back,” Shepler said. “We’re the Cardiac Hounds for a reason. We’ve done it countless times. Once Isaac hit the home run, I was like we’ve got a chance. We’re going to win this ballgame.”

And they almost did.

Williams was hit by a pitch and Nick Lukac was walked by the fourth Yotes pitcher of the inning to put two men on base and bring Shepler up for the second time, this time as the potential winning run.

Although he bounced out to second to end the game, the game and the season ended on an upbeat note rather than disappointment for the Greyhounds.

Especially for the seniors.

“These guys have been through a lot the past five years, just like anybody else,” Ready said. “Even though the outcome wasn’t what we wanted, to end our season here in Cary is just a memory these guys will cherish for the rest of their lives. I’m so proud of all of them and happy they got to experience it.”