UIndy's Wheeler Throws No-Hitter to Advance Greyhounds to GLVC Title Game
UIndy Sports Information
EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Indianapolis junior Phil Wheeler made history Saturday night, as the Decatur, Ill., native tossed the first-ever recorded no-hitter at the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament, held this year at Bosse Field in Evansville, Ind. The 3-0 win came at the tourney semifinals, propelling the Greyhounds to their first conference final since 2009.
The historic performance marked the first UIndy no-hitter in 17 years, as former major-leaguer Jim Crowell tossed a no-no for the Greyhounds in 1995. Wheeler threw 136 pitches in the complete-game effort, striking out a career-high 11 and walking six.
In addition, Wheeler's performance showcased the pure depth of this Greyhound pitching staff. Playing their fifth game in three days, the Hounds' starting pitchers have managed four consecutive quality starts, combining for an ERA of 0.85 over that span.
The Greyhounds have avoided elimination for four straight games, bouncing the likes of Quincy, Lewis and now Rockhurst along the way.
The third inning saw the first earned run allowed by Rockhurst at the league tournament, as the Hounds broke a 0-0 tie on an RBI single from all-conference DH Scott Mourey.
UIndy also scored single runs in the fifth and eighth innings. Maringer led off the fifth with a double and came around on a Tyler O'Daniel single. Later, a Ryan Wides walk turning into a run when Jake Hartley earned a free pass with the bases loaded.
UIndy advances to its first GLVC final where it will face the winner of tomorrow's Northern Kentucky/Missouri-St. Louis match-up. The championship game will immediately follow the aforementioned contest, with the first pitch scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Eastern.
Note: UIndy has four GLVC titles to its credit, with the last coming in 2001.