May 4, 2007
IOWA CITY – With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, the University of Iowa baseball team strung together three-straight hits to take a 3-2 win over the Indiana Hoosiers Friday night. Iowa (25-15, 12-8 in the Big Ten) wins its 10th-consecutive game. Indiana falls to 16-26 (6-14).
With the score tied 2-2 and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, T.J. Cataldo kept the Hawkeyes alive with a single to left field. Caleb Curry then followed that with a hit through the left side to keep the rally going and bring senior Matt Wooldrik to the plate. Kody McManis entered the game as a pinch runner for Cataldo, and came home when Wooldrik ripped a single to right field to win the game.
Curry and Kyle Riffel each had a pair of hits for Iowa.
Indiana struck first, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the third with an RBI single off the bat of Andrew Means. The Hawkeyes immediately responded in the bottom of the inning, tying things up with a sacrifice fly from Jason White.
The Hawkeys threatened in the bottom of the seventh, getting runners on second and third with one out and the top of the order coming up. Hoosier reliever Mike Squiers came in and put a stop to the Iowa threat, striking out White and getting Travis Sweet to ground out to second.
The Hoosiers broke the tie in the top of the eighth, using a pair of Hawkeye miscues. A single, error and walk loaded the bases with no outs and chased starter Steve Turnbull from the game. Relief pitcher Mike Jacobs entered the game and induced a 1-2-3 double play to put runners at second and third with two outs. Closer Mike Schurz then replaced Jacobs and took Michael Nilles to a 3-2 count before walking him. Schurz and catcher Ben Geelan then got themselves crossed up and a run-scoring passed ball was the result. Schurz then got Josh Phegley to fly to second to end the inning.
Once again, the Hawkeyes responded in the bottom of the inning. Napoleon drew a walk and was replaced at first by pinch runner Justin Brauer. Brauer went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Curry, then scored when Wooldrik grounded to second and Evan Crawford threw the ball away. The Hawkeyes were looking for more with the bases loaded and two outs for Justin Toole, who ripped a ball back up the middle. Unfortunately for the junior, pitcher Chris McCombs was able to get a glove on it, which slowed the ball down just enough for shortstop Keith Haas to corral it and flip to second for the inning ending out.
Turnbull threw one of his best games of the year, allowing just two runs (one earned) and seven hits over seven innings. Schurz threw an inning and a third of shutout ball to pick up his team-best fifth win of the year.
The Hawkeyes and Hoosiers return to action tomorrow with a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m.
GAME SUMMARYIndiana 001 000 010 -- 2 8 1Iowa 001 000 011 -- 3 9 1
WP - Mike Schurz (5-1)LP - Chris McCombs (1-3)="http:>