Feb. 27, 2004
SHREVEPORT, LA – The Iowa Baseball team kicked off the 2004 season with an 11-5 win over Centenary at SheHee Stadium on Friday night. Sophomore Tim Gudex picked up the win after pitching 2 1/3 innings after relieving starter Nathan Johnson in the fifth.
The Hawkeyes broke the game open in the fifth inning after scoring three runs to push the score to 5-1. L.J. Mims and Jeff Gremley got things rolling with back-to-back singles and moved up on the base paths on a Centenary wild pitch. Mims then scored on a Nate Yoho groundout and Gremley crossed the plate on a wild pitch. LF Jesse Brownell followed with a singled and stole second and was driven in on DH Andy Cox’s second hit of the game.
Centenary loaded the bases in the sixth and seventh innings, but they could only muster one run. In the sixth, Mims got Iowa out of the jam when he made a diving catch in right center field. In the seventh, the Gents again loaded the bases off of Tim Gudex with no one out, but the sophomore southpaw pitched his way out of trouble and only gave up only one run.
Centenary kept plugging away as they cut their deficit in half in the bottom of the eighth after Jonathan Ahearn singled off of Scott Brune and Jared Vincent followed with a double to chase Brune out of the game. Chris Maliszewski entered the game and forced the first batter he faced into an RBI groundout before allowing an RBI single to Tony Cardone. Maliszewski struck out Jesse Newell to end the inning.
Iowa shut the door on any idea of a Centenary comeback with five runs in the top of the ninth after they batted a round in the order. The inning was highlighted by a two RBI triple by Brownell and a two RBI single by Kevin Sunderman. Centenary added a run in the ninth before Iowa got a game ending 5-4-3 double play.
Iowa scored a run in the second and third innings. Cox got things rolling for Iowa after leading off the second with a triple. White scored Iowa’s third inning run after walking and stealing second before crossing the plate on a Brownell single. Centenary avoided further danger in the third after Yoho was thrown out at the plate with the bases loaded trying to score on a passed ball.
Centenary got on the board in the fourth inning after three straight two out singles. Johnson struck out Alex Valdivia looking to end the inning.
Four Iowa hitters had two or more hits in the game. Brownell led the Hawkeyes going 3-for-5 with two RBI. Sunderman, Cox and Kris Welker accounted for six of Iowa’s 13 hits.
Senior Nathan Johnson gave up one run in 4 2/3 innings, while striking out three.
Iowa will play a double header tomorrow to conclude its three-game series with Centenary. The first game is scheduled to begin at noon.