March 13, 2005
JACKSONVILLE, FL – The University of Iowa baseball team routed the Rider Broncs Sunday, 16-2, in Jacksonville, FL. The Hawkeyes pounded out 16 hits, including three home runs.
The Broncs jumped out to an early lead with a two-run homer in the top of the first off starter Casey O’Rourke. Just like his first start of the year, O’Rourke then buckled down and shut the Rider offense down after a first-inning home run.
The Hawkeyes tied the game with a two-run home run off the bat of senior Andy Lytle in the top of the third, then exploded for six runs in the fourth. Senior Andy Cox started things off with a leadoff home run, and Iowa didn’t stop until the score was 8-2 and they had batted around. Cox ended the day 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
Iowa added three runs in the sixth, and another five in the eighth to turn the game into a blowout.
All-Big Ten rightfielder Nate Yoho was 3-of-4 on the day and was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle.
The score gave the Hawkeye coaching staff a chance to play some of their younger players, and the kids responded. Freshmen Ben Geelan (2-for-2) and Ryan Considine (1-for-2, RBI) both stepped up, while junior Skylar Moss was 1-for-1 with a home run. The homer was Moss’s first-career hit.
O’Rourke picked up his second win of the year, throwing seven strong innings and allowing just six hits and walking one.
Iowa (3-4) returns to action tomorrow with a rematch with Rider at 4 p.m.