Pitcher’s Duel Goes in Favor of Home Team

Friday, February 27

Bowling Green, Ky.

4 p.m.

Indiana University

3-6

Western Kentucky

6-4

Indiana

WKU

2/27/2026 7:30:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – On a well-pitched night from both sides, the Indiana Baseball team (3-6, 0-0 B1G) just couldn't get the offense going. The Hoosiers scored a run in the ninth inning but were beaten 4-1 on Friday (Feb. 27) afternoon by Western Kentucky (6-4, 0-0 CUSA) at Nick Denes Field.

Graduate student left-handed pitcher Tony Neubeck (L, 0-1) gave IU its best start of the season. He worked 5.1 innings of one-run baseball. The veteran struck out five batters and didn't allow a walk. 50 of 71 pitches went for strikes. The lone run he allowed came on a double in the fourth inning. Graduate student right-handed pitcher Michael Sarhatt followed him with a pair of strikeouts in 1.2 innings of work.

The two biggest chances of the day on offense for the Hoosiers ended in no runs on each occasion. Freshman second baseman Landen Fry hit a hard line drive at the second baseman who picked off sophomore first baseman Jake Hanley at second base for a double play. Sophomore outfielder Hogan Denny grounded into a double play two innings later with two runners on and no outs.

Sophomore shortstop Cooper Malamazian finally got IU on the board in the ninth inning with an RBI double into the gap in left-center field. The Hoosiers brought the tying run to the plate in the form of freshman pinch hitter Owen ten Oever. He worked the count even at 2-2 but grounded out to the second baseman to end the game.

IU still has lots of baseball left to play this weekend in Bowling Green. The two sides will play a scheduled doubleheader tomorrow (Feb. 28), beginning at 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT. The series finale is still set for Sunday (March 1) afternoon.

Scoring Recap
Bottom Fourth
The hosts opened the scoring in the fourth inning when Camden Ross hit a double down the line that ricocheted off the third base bag.
Western Kentucky 1, Indiana 0

Bottom Eighth
After exchanging zeros back-and-forth, Western Kentucky added insurance in the eighth. Ross hit another double to score Manny Alberto. Kiefer Tarnoki was hit with the bases loaded on a ball that looked on the plate. Austin Haller walked in the next at-bat with the bases juiced to score a third run in the frame.
Western Kentucky 4, Indiana 0

Top Ninth
IU finally added a run to the board in the ninth with an RBI double from Cooper Malamazian. Owen ten Oever came to the plate as the tying run but grounded out to end the game.
Western Kentucky 4, Indiana 1

Top Hoosier Performers
#29 Neubeck, Tony
5.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 5 K, 0 BB

#42 Ricketts, Brayden
2-3, BB

#15 Malamazian, Cooper
1-3, 2B, RBI

Inside the Box Score
• Despite struggling to end innings, IU outhit Western Kentucky 7-6 on the night.
• Four of Western Kentucky's six hits went for extra bases. IU had two, both in the ninth inning.
• Brayden Ricketts and Jake Hanley each had multi-hit efforts.
• All but one starter in IU's order had a strikeout. Western Kentucky sat down 10 batters in total via the strikeout.
• The Hoosiers walked four batters but none until the eighth inning. One of those was an intentional walk.

Notes to Know
• Sophomore third baseman Will Moore had a base knock on Friday afternoon to extend his reached-base streak out to 25 games. His current streak began back on April 18th, 2025 in the first game of the Maryland series. He's missed three games through injury in that time but has now reached safely in the final 18 games of last year and the first seven games he's contested this season.

• Graduate student southpaw Tony Neubeck went 5.1 innings on Friday while allowing just one run. It's the longest outing of his career since going six innings in a defeat to LSU on April 22nd, 2022. It's the second time in his career that he's gone at least five innings while allowing one-or-fewer runs (Feb. 24, 2023 at FIU).

• Sophomore shortstop Cooper Malamazian got on the board with an RBI double in the ninth inning. It's his team-leading 11th RBI of the season. He's driven in runs in five of IU's nine games. Malamazian has at least one hit in seven of nine outings this year for the Hoosiers.

• IU's pitching staff, aside from a couple lopsided innings, has been very solid to begin the year. Today's game was the fifth time in nine outings that it has given up four-of-fewer runs. A starter for IU has worked into at least the fifth inning in each of the last three weekend games.

Up Next
The Hoosiers will resume the series in Bowling Green tomorrow (Feb. 28) to close out the month of February. First pitch from the first game of the day is set for 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT. The games will be carried on the Indiana Sports Radio Network via IUHoosiers.com/Audio.