May 7, 2004
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – In a pitcher’s dual that featured two of the top pitchers in the Big Ten, the Golden Gophers snuck away with the 3-2 victory over Iowa at Siebert Field on Friday night.
The dual on the mound featured the top two pitchers in the Big Ten in ERA in Iowa’s Nathan Johnson and Minnesota’s Glen Perkins. The two hurlers lived up to their billing as Perkins struck out a career-high 13 batters and scattered seven hits in the compete game, while Johnson gave up eight hits and allowed two earned runs in the defeat.
Minnesota pushed two runs across the plate in the first. Sam Steidl reached on an error by Andy Lytle to leadoff the game and crossed the plate on Luke MacLean’s triple down the right field line. Matt Fornasiere knocked in the second run with a sacrifice fly to shallow centerfield.
The Hawkeyes evened the score with two runs in the fifth. With one out, Andy Cox hit a bloop single to centerfield to start the rally and Jeff Gremley followed with a walk. L.J. Mims reached on a fielder’s choice to bring Lytle to the plate with two outs. Lytle hit a fly ball down the right field line that popped out of the Sean Kommerstad’s glove allowing both Iowa runners to cross the plate.
Minnesota retook the lead with one run in the bottom of the inning. David Hrncirik singled to start the inning and advanced to second on a wild pitch. With two outs, Steidl hit a fly ball to left field off the end of his bat that fell just in front of Jesse Brownell to put the Golden Gophers on top 3-2.
Iowa threatened in the eight, but left the tying run 90 feet away. With two outs, the Hawkeyes got back-to-back singles by Nate Yoho and Kris Welker to put runners on the corners, but Perkins got out of the jam when he struck out Brownell looking.
Iowa put the leadoff runner on base in the ninth. Pinch hitter Mike Mogard walked and moved to second on a Cox sacrifice bunt. However, the Hawkeyes left Mogard stranded at second base as Perkins struck out Gremley and L.J. Mims to end the game.
The Hawkeyes and Golden Gophers will play at twin bill tomorrow afternoon beginning at 2 p.m. at Siebert Field.