Oregon State got a complete game from Matt Boyd and became the first team all season to shut out Indiana as they knocked off the Hoosiers, 1-0, in an elimination game Wednesday night.
College World Series 2013: Oregon State eliminates Indiana
Indiana’s magical 2013 run comes to an end at the hands of Matt Boyd and a stifling Beavers defense, who ride the 1-0 victory into the group finals against Mississippi State.
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Boyd improved to 11-4 by baffling a potent Indiana offense with pinpoint control and an effective breaking ball. The senior lefty allowed only two baserunners to reach in his first four innings and he promptly picked off each one at first base.
OSU scored the game’s only run in the top of the fourth, setting the table with a single and double to open the inning and put two runners in scoring position. After Jake Rodriguez lifted a fly ball to right, the throw home skidded past the mitt of the Indiana catcher and Kavin Keyes slid safely in for what would eventually be the winning run.
It was the only score that Aaron Slegers would surrender in a complete game gem that, on just about any other night, would have earned him a win and player of the game accolades. With the bad luck loss, the redshirt sophomore finishes the season at 9-2.
The Hoosiers managed only four hits and struck out nine times Wednesday, capping a frustrating CWS for an offense that had been prolific all season up until that point. After entering the final round leading the field in tournament runs scored, Indiana suddenly went cold in Omaha. The team posted a .309 batting average with six home runs in its first five tournament games, but hit just .235 and didn’t send a single ball out of the yard in its last three.
The frustrating loss brings a close to a historic season of Indiana baseball. The Hoosiers won the Big Ten Championship for the first time in 64 years, then celebrated the opening of their new stadium by hosting a regional for the first time in school history. Ground-breaking appearances in the super regionals and Omaha followed, with the capstone coming with their first CWS win against Louisville in their opening game.
Oregon State staves off elimination for a second game in a row and now earns a rematch with Mississippi State on Friday. The Beavers dropped their first game in Omaha to Mississippi State, and must now beat them twice in a row to move on to the finals.
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