April 18, 2004
BLOOMINGTON, IN – With a strong 20 mph wind blowing straight out to centerfield, the Hoosiers used seven home runs on the day to win the series finale 25-9 and gain a four-game split with the Hawkeyes on Sunday afternoon at Sembower Field.
Entering the third, Indiana was trailing by two runs, but after sending a staggering 14 batters to the plate, the Hoosiers scored 11 runs to blow the game open and take a 13-2 lead. Indiana hit three home runs in the inning, including a grand slam by centerfielder Reggie Watson and right fielder Joe Kemp’s second long ball of the game.
Iowa scored a run in the fourth on Kris Welker’s RBI single to left. However, Indiana fought right back as catcher Cody Wargo hit the fifth home run of the day in the bottom half of the inning, a two-run shot over the left field fence, to push the score to 15-5.
Welker, who was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate, recorded another RBI single in the sixth inning, before the Hoosiers scored seven runs in the bottom half to push the score to 23-7 after batting around for the second time in the game.
Iowa scored three runs in the seventh inning, including a solo homerun over the left field fence from Gabe Haugland. The long ball was the first hit of Haugland’s Iowa career.
It was d?j? vu for the Hawkeyes in the opening frame as they started in the same fashion as Saturday’s second contest. Second baseman Andy Lytle hit a lead-off single to right field and crossed the plate on designated hitter Jim Reid’s RBI triple into the right centerfield gap. Right fielder Nate Yoho followed with his team-leading 23rd RBI on a groundout to second base.
Welker recorded Iowa’s third hit of the inning with a soft grounder that got through the right side and advanced to second on a throwing error on by Indiana starter Brian Lortz. Left fielder Jesse Brownell drove in the third Hawkeye run with a base hit to shallow right field. Three Hoosiers attempted to make the play, but the ball dropped in for a hit when first baseman Corby Heckman tried making a Willie Mays catch.
With the wind blowing out to centerfield, Kemp blasted the first pitch of the third inning to dead centerfield fence to tally the first Hoosier run of the day. Indiana added a second run after a pair of Hawkeye errors.
The Hawkeyes got things going again in the third. After a Yoho single, the Hawkeyes executed a hit and run to perfection as Welker laced a single through the left side to move Yoho to third. Shortstop Jeff Gremley put Iowa up 4-2 with a sacrifice fly to centerfield.
The Hawkeyes will return to the ballpark on Tuesday night in the I-380 Corridor Classic against Northern Iowa. The game will be played at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids beginning at 6:30 p.m.