It’s no secret that Indiana baseball (11-19, 4-10 Big Ten) has had a hard time closing out games in 2026. Heading into Saturday evening, the Hoosiers had already lost six games in which they blew a lead in the seventh inning or later.
Unfortunately for Jeff Mercer’s squad, deja vu struck once again, this time against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (17-13, 6-5 Big Ten). Indiana, leading by four runs through five, lost its lead in the eighth inning. The Scarlet Knights would hang on to win 9-6 on a wet, windy Saturday evening at Bart Kaufman Field.
As has been the case all season long, Indiana’s bullpen was unable to finish when it mattered most. The Hoosiers got a quality start from their starting pitcher for the second straight night, as RHP Reagan Rivera threw six solid innings, allowing just three runs while striking out five.
“Reagan was incredible. He did an amazing job,” head coach Jeff Mercer said after the game. “Six innings and three runs in tonight’s conditions was a marvelous outing.”
After Rivera exited with Indiana in front, 5-3, the Hoosiers brought on fellow RHP Gavin Seebold. After pitching a scoreless top of the seventh, Seebold ran into trouble in the eighth inning.
Rutgers began the inning with a leadoff home run from Charlie Meglio to cut the deficit to one. The Scarlet Knights weren’t done there. After a sacrifice bunt moved two runners into scoring position, Yomar Carreras gave Rutgers its first lead of the day with a two-run double.
Carreras wasn’t done there, as he added a three-run homer in the top of the ninth off of RHP Ivan Mastalski, bringing the hammer down on the Indiana bullpen. Mastalski actually retired the first two batters in the inning, but a walk and hit by pitch extended the inning, allowing Carreras to step up to the plate and deliver the final nail in the coffin.
“You get two quick outs, but then a walk and a hit by pitch and you lose focus,” Mercer said. “We let the air out of the balloon.”
Jake Hanley’s homer in the ninth came far too late. If Mastalski had gotten through the ninth cleanly, Hanley’s eighth home run of the season would’ve tied the game. But, once again, Saturday showed how difficult it’s been for the Indiana bullpen to get a big out when they need to.
After such an encouraging win Friday night, Saturday’s collapse was yet another step back for Mercer’s ball club, and with the cream and crimson already in double digit losses in conference play, time is not on Indiana’s side to turn things around.
The Hoosiers will go for the series victory Sunday afternoon, with first pitch on Easter Sunday scheduled for 1 p.m. Eastern.
