April 11, 2008
BLOOMINGTON, IN – Indiana scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to defeat the Iowa baseball team in a slugfest Friday at windy Sembower Field, 13-12. The Hawkeyes led 12-9 heading into the bottom of the eighth, but the Hoosiers plated four unanswered runs, two each in the eighth and ninth inning, to overtake Iowa. The loss was Iowa’s seventh one-run defeat of the year and its fourth in Big Ten play.
Today’s game featured 32 hits, 11 extra-base hits and aggressive base running by both teams. The Hawkeyes recorded four doubles, two home runs and a triple.
Iowa’s offense went off in the loss with eight different Hawkeyes recording hits and seven scoring a run. Kurtis Muller was red-hot, going 3-for-4 with two-RBI and a triple. Tyson Blaser continued to swing the bat well and went 3-for-5 with an RBI, double and two runs scored. Blaser has recorded three hits in each of the last two games. Kyle Riffel had a season-high four RBI after going 2-for-5 on the day with a double. Four hitters for the Black and Gold recorded multi-hit games while another four recorded multi-run games. Additionally, the team’s 15 hits tied a season high.
“It’s a case of guys trying to do too much,” Head Coach Jack Dahm said. “We battled and we scored runs. But, we didn’t pitch like we need to and it’s tough when you walk and hit so many guys in key situations. That is a tough loss.”
Iowa’s offense exploded in the eighth with four runs on five hits to come from behind, 12-9. The Black and Gold were led off by a Blaser single through the left side. Matt Mossey then reached after taking an Eric Arnett pitch off the helmet. Kevin Hoef utilized a sac bunt to move the two Hawkeyes over and Riffel picked up his fourth-RBI of the game with a single to center. Justin Toole extended the inning with an infield single and advanced to second after Riffel was caught stealing. Caleb Curry took advantage with his sixth double of the season to bring in Toole.
The Hoosiers made a run at Iowa in the bottom of the eighth, scoring two to make it 12-11, but left the bases loaded. Indiana kept at it in the ninth. Evan Crawford singled to shortstop and advanced to third on a throwing error. Josh Phegley took advantage of the lone Hawkeye error and hit a bloop RBI-single, his fifth hit of the contest, to tie it up. And with two-runners on base, Chris Hervey hit the game-winning single through the left side, to make it 13-12. Iowa reliever Andrew Porter got the loss, throwing the final one and two-third innings, allowing four runs, three of which were earned.
With the wind blowing out, Hoef led off the contest with a home run to center on just the third pitch to put Iowa up 1-0. The solo shot was Hoef’s second of the year.
Indiana (15-13, 4-5) answered in the bottom the inning to take a 3-1 lead. The inning featured a Jerrud Sabourin two-RBI double down the right field line and a Brock Alberts pick-off.
Iowa (9-18, 1-8) came back strong in the second, to take back the lead 5-3. Muller sparked the Hawkeyes with a leadoff single to left. He later stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by catcher Josh Phegley. One batter later, Wes Freie reached base on a hit-by-pitch. With one out, and runners on the corners Blaser delivered with an RBI-single up the middle to score Muller. Mossey continued things to load the bases with a single to shallow right. Hoef hit in his second run of the game with a sacrifice fly to center to score Freie. With two-outs, Riffel came up big with a two-RBI double to left center.
Curry hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth and Freie hit a solo home run in the sixth, but Indiana led 9-7 through six frames. The Hoosiers plated two runs in the third inning, three in the fifth and one in the sixth.
The Black and Gold manufactured a run in the seventh on one hit, to make it 9-8. Toole reached on a single to third and advanced to second on a throwing error by the third baseman. Curry moved Toole over with a groundout to the shortstop and Muller got the RBI.
Iowa is scheduled to take on Indiana tomorrow in a doubleheader at Sembower Field. First pitch is set for 11 a.m.
GAME SUMMARYIowa 140 011 140 - 12 15 1Indiana 302 031 021 - 13 17 2
WP - McCombs (2-0)LP - Porter (1-2)