iStockphoto
The Indiana baseball team received some instant karma on Sunday following a bogus ejection the game before. It came in the form of a defense-aided home run, which got the Hoosiers on the board in the regional final matchup versus Kentucky.
On Saturday, the team’s starting second baseman was tossed from action for breaking a silly NCAA rule. That ejection led to a subsequent suspension that carried over into the next contest.
That next game would be the regional final in Lexington as the Hoosiers had won their first two outings to land in the winner’s bracket. They’d play the host Wildcats on Sunday with a chance to book their ticket to the super regionals.
They’d have to do so shorthanded, though.
In Saturday’s win over Kentucky, infielder Tyler Cerny was ejected for putting a necklace on his teammate Peter Serruto, who’d just hit a go-ahead three-run homer.
Per NCAA rule, you cannot bring a prop out of the dugout, which led to the dismissal.
While done by the books, the rule itself is absolutely ridiculous as it finds another way to limit fun on the diamond. There’s very little difference between celebrating with a prop atop the dugout steps and inside the bench confines.
But as a result, Cerny was suspended for his next game, leaving the Indiana baseball team to find a replacement at second base.
Enter Evan Goforth.
Filling in for Cerny at second and taking his spot at ninth in the batting order, the sophomore absolutely delivered. Indiana got some instant karma in his first at-bat of the game, which helped the Hoosiers get on the scoreboard.
Goforth launched a drive to deep centerfield, and thanks to some help from the Kentucky defense, it resulted in a home run.
That’s a HOME RUN from No. 1️⃣9️⃣!@EvanGoforth | #IUBase pic.twitter.com/Y8c4ipISef
— Indiana Baseball (@IndianaBase) June 4, 2023
The solo shot gave Indiana its first run of the game. Goforth would add another RBI on a double in the ninth inning to continue his impressive day at the plate.
Unfortunately, the Hoosiers fell to the Wildcats, 16-6. The two teams will play on Monday with a trip to the super regionals on the line.