March 4, 2005
SPRINGFIELD, MO – The University of Iowa baseball team picked up its first win of the season with a 11-1 victory over the Southwest Missouri State Bears at Hammons Field Friday afternoon. Head Coach Jack Dahm’s team pounded out 12 hits on the day and got solid pitching out of starter Casey O’Rourke and junior Luke O’Laughlin.
The Hawkeyes jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning, led by back-to-back home runs from seniors Nate Yoho and Kris Welker.
After giving up a lead-off home run from the Bears’ Kirk McConnell, O’Rourke settled in and cruised through the fifth inning, allowing just five hits and walking none. In the bottom of the sixth, the sophomore hit a pair of Southwest Missouri State batters and loaded the bases with two out, bringing O’Laughlin out of the pen to get the final out and slam the door on the Bear rally. O’Laughlin cruised the rest of the way, throwing 3 1/3 innings of no-hit relief.
Iowa added a pair in the top of the fourth when sophomore second baseman Jason White ripped a two-run triple to plate Andy Cox and Jeff Engel. The Hawkeyes expanded their lead to 9-1 with a run in the fifth and a three-spot in seventh, then upped the score to 11-1 with a two-run single off the bat of Andy Lytle in the ninth.
Yoho, Welker and Lytle all ended the game with two RBIs, while White knocked in three runs.
The Hawkeyes (1-2) and Bears (2-6) will go at it again tomorrow at 2 p.m.