May 19, 2007
IOWA CITY – The University of Iowa baseball team split a doubleheader with the Michigan Wolverines on a 8-6 win in game two Saturday. Iowa is now 31-20 (17-12), while Michigan is 38-14 (20-7).
With the win Iowa clinched the No. 4 seed at next week’s Big Ten Tournament, while Michigan still clinched the Big Ten Regular Season Championship with Minnesota’s 10-7.
The Hawkeyes jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first. Jason White walked, then stole second and scored on a Dusty Napoleon single. Caleb Curry followed with a bunt single, then T.J. Cataldo hit a ground ball to short, but the flip to second was wild and Napoleon came home with the second run.
Michigan cut the lead in half with a run in the top of the third. With runners on third and one out, a ground ball to White at short was flipped to Justin Toole for one out, but a good slide took the second baseman out and prevented the inning ending double play – allowing the run to score.
Iowa responded in the bottom of the inning, getting a pair of runs on a sacrifice fly from Matt Wooldrik and an RBI single from Cataldo.
Once again, Michigan halved the lead in the top of the fourth, getting a two-out RBI single from Derek VanBiskirk, then cut the lead to 4-3 with an RBI single by Nate Recknagel in the top of the fifth.
The Hawkeyes took advantage of some sloppy Michigan glovework in the sixth, adding four very important insurance runs to stretch their lead to 8-3. Toole scored on a ball through the second baseman’s legs, Wooldrik hit a sacrifice fly and Iowa got a pair of bases loaded hit batsmen.
Michigan made things very interesting in the top of the seventh, scoring three runs to cut the lead to 8-6. With one out, Doug Pickens hit a towering fly ball that looked to be a game-tying home run, but Travis Sweet made a spectacular catch, running into the centerfield wall at full speed. Mike Jacobs was able to get the third out for his first-career save.
Nick Erdman had another solid start for the Hawkeyes, scattering 11 hits and allowing five runs over six and 1/3 innings. He had a strikeout and walked none.
Iowa and Michigan will wrap-up the regular season with a single game tomorrow at 1 p.m.
GAME SUMMARYMichigan 001 110 3 -- 6 13 3Iowa 202 004 x -- 8 9 1
WP - Nick Erdman (7-2)LP - Chirs Fetter (6-3)SV - Mike Jacobs (1)="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/pre%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Cp%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Cp%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Ctable%20border='0'%20cellpadding='0'%20cellspacing='0'%20align='left'%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Ctr%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Ctd%20align='center'%20width="150">
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