BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (Interstat) — Jackson Thomas delivered a masterful seven-inning, no-hit performance and the Washington Huskies’ offense erupted late to secure a 9-2 victory over the Indiana Hoosiers in Big Ten Conference baseball action Saturday at Bart Kaufman Field.

The game, which began in the afternoon and concluded under evening lights, was decisively swung by Thomas’s dominance on the mound and a four-run ninth inning by the Huskies’ bats. The win evened the weekend series after Indiana’s 4-2 victory on Friday and improved Washington’s record to 4-10, while the Hoosiers fell to 6-8.

Thomas, a right-hander, was virtually untouchable. He faced the minimum through four innings and did not allow a hit in his seven frames, walking none and striking out three. The only blemish was an unearned run in the first inning. Indiana’s Will Crouse reached on a hit-by-pitch, advanced to third on a fielder’s choice and a throwing error by Washington third baseman Wilson, and scored on a double-play groundout. Thomas then retired 14 of the next 15 Hoosiers he faced, with a fifth-inning hit batsman being erased on a pickoff. His effort starkly contrasted his previous start, a 3-2 loss to San Diego State on Feb. 28 where he allowed four hits and three earned runs.

Washington provided steady run support, chipping away against Indiana starter Brayton Thomas and reliever Luke Sarhatt. The Huskies took a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI single by Hotchkiss, then added two in the second on a run-scoring single from Tyler Cowan and a sacrifice fly by Sam DeCarlo. They made it 4-1 in the fourth when Daniel Porras doubled, advanced on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on a bunt single by Bower.

The lead expanded to 7-1 in the sixth. Cowan and DeCarlo singled and walked, respectively, and both advanced on a sacrifice bunt. Pinch-hitter Young delivered a two-run single and later stole second, allowing another run to score on an infield single by Taggart.

While Indiana reliever Ivan Mastalski provided 2 1/3 innings of scoreless, one-hit relief with four strikeouts, the Huskies broke the game open in the ninth against the Hoosiers’ bullpen. After two walks and a caught stealing, Porras launched a two-run homer to right-center field. Following another walk, DeCarlo tripled to drive in the final run, finishing 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Porras led the 11-hit Washington attack, going 3-for-5 with the homer, a double, two RBIs and three runs scored.

The most important sequence of the game was Thomas’s response after the shaky first inning. With his team holding a narrow 1-0 lead after an inning marred by an error that led to an Indiana run, Thomas could have faltered. Instead, he induced a double-play grounder to limit the damage and then proceeded to completely stifle the Hoosiers’ lineup. His efficiency and control over the next six innings allowed Washington to build its lead without pressure and conserved the bullpen. His performance directly neutralized an Indiana team that had won the series opener and was projected as a significant favorite by Interstat’s metrics, which gave the Hoosiers a 62.7% probability to win and projected a 5-2 final score.

Indiana avoided the shutout in the bottom of the ninth against Washington reliever Bryce Johnson, as Cooper Malamazian hit a solo home run to left-center. Johnson otherwise threw two hitless innings, allowing only the homer. Hogan Denny had the Hoosiers’ only extra-base hit, a first-inning double, as Indiana managed just five hits total.

The teams conclude the three-game series Sunday afternoon. Washington will visit Seattle on Tuesday before hosting Ohio State next weekend. Indiana hosts Wright State on Tuesday before embarking on a road trip to Oregon.