May 26, 2005
CHAMPAIGN, IL – The University of Iowa baseball team was eliminated from the 2005 Big Ten Tournament after falling to the Michigan Wolverines, 8-6, Thursday afternoon in Champaign, IL. The Hawkeyes finish the season with a 28-29 overall record.
Like Wednesday’s first-round loss to Minnesota, the Hawkeyes took a lead into the late innings before allowing a rally. Iowa took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first after leading off with three-straight singles and getting a sacrifice fly from Nate Yoho.
Michigan tied the game up with a sacrifice fly of its own in the top of the first, only to have the Hawkeyes re-take the lead in the bottom of the inning off a bases-loaded RBI groundout from Kris Welker.
Iowa used a pair of Wolverine errors in the bottom of the fourth to take a 4-2 lead.
In the top of the sixth, Michigan took advantage of a tiring Casey O’Rourke to tie the game up at 4-4. O’Rourke, who had thrown a great game through five innings, allowed a leadoff double to Jeff Kunkel and a two-run, game-tying home run to Matt Butler. Austin Seward then came in to relieve O’Rourke, and promptly hit Leif Mahler. Seward then induced a ground ball out of Eric Rose, but it made its way under third baseman Andy Cox’s glove, allowing A.J Scheidt to score the go-ahead run.
Closer Tim Gudex then came into the game and recorded two outs to end the threat.
With two outs in the seventh, Michigan took a 7-4 lead when a soft line drive got past Yoho for an error, allowing a pair of runs to come home.
Yoho came back with a solo home run in the seventh to cut the lead to 7-5, but another costly error gave Michigan an 8-5 lead in the top of the eighth.
Pinch hitter Jesse Brownell led off the eighth with a double, then came around to score when Luis Andrulonis ripped a single up the middle.
Gudex held the Wolverines in check in the top of the ninth, leaving the Hawkeyes’ fate in the hands of their offense. Freshman Travis Sweet led off with a single, followed by another base hit from Andy Lytle. Yoho then attempted to bunt the two over, only to miss and have Kunkel’s throw down to second sail into centerfield, putting runners at the corners with no outs. It wasn’t meant to be, however, as Yoho and Welker both popped out, followed by a check-swing groundout off Brownell’s bat that ended the game.
GAME SUMMARYMichigan 101 003 210 -- 8 12 5IOWA 201 100 110 -- 6 12 4
WP - Michael Penn (7-2)LP - Casey O'Rourke (2-5)SV - Brad Seddon (2)="http:>