March 29, 2008
Ann Arbor, MI–The Iowa baseball team lost the second game of a doubleheader against No. 25 Michigan in Ann Arbor Saturday, 5-3. In the loss, Iowa utilized the sacrifice and scored the first three runs of the game.
Brock Alberts received the loss and pitched six innings allowing two earned runs on five Wolverine hits. Alberts kept the dangerous Michigan offense scoreless for the first four innings, but the Michigan offense broke through in the fifth.
“Brock had his moments and he had some real good stuff today,” Coach Jack Dahm said. “He kept Michigan at bay for the first four innings, we just need to learn to finish. He’s got way too good of stuff to not do big things for us.”
To lead the Hawkeye offense was Kevin Hoef who went 2-for-3 with a triple and scoring two runs. Justin Toole continued to swing the bat well, going 1-for-2 with a RBI double. T.J. Cataldo utilized the sacrifice bunt and had RBI sacrifice fly in the game.
The Hawkeyes (7-11) wasted no time in their second game against Michigan (12-6), jumping to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Hoef hit a leadoff triple to start the Hawkeyes off. Cataldo took advantage and hit a sacrifice fly to score Hoef and give Iowa their first lead of the series.
Iowa continued things in the third, scoring two on one hit. Tyson Blaser reached base on a walk, and was advanced to second by a Hoef single. Cataldo advanced the runners to second and third with a sacrifice. A Chris Fetter balk moved Hoef to third and scored Blaser. Toole added to his 22 RBIs on the season, by hitting a sacrifice fly to right field to score Hoef and make it a 3-0 Hawkeye ballgame.
The Wolverine offense broke loose in the fifth. Michigan scored five runs on three hits to take a 5-3 lead. The inning featured a Leif Mahler double and two-run homerun to left center by Zach Putnam.
In the loss, Iowa drops to 0-2 in the Big Ten, while Michigan advances to 2-0.
“You hate going 0-2 but there is nothing we can do about it but learn from it and come back strong tomorrow,” Dahm said. “Hopefully our guys know we were with them, and take it to them tomorrow.”
Iowa will take on Michigan at Fisher Stadium tomorrow in a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 11 a.m.
GAME SUMMARY
Iowa 102 000 0 - 3 3 1
Michigan 000 050 x - 5 5 0
WP- Fetter (4-0)
LP - Alberts (2-2)