April 20, 2008
IOWA CITY, IA– The Iowa baseball team dropped the first game of a doubleheader Sunday against Northwestern at Duane Banks field, 13-6. Iowa struck first in the bottom of the first with a single run, but Northwestern scored 13 runs in three innings. Despite a four-run rally in the fifth, Iowa came up short.
In the loss, Kevin Hoef went a perfect 3-for-3, scoring one and driving in one. Justin Toole continued to swing the bat with authority, going 2-for-4 and scoring a run. Kurtis Muller went 1-for-2 with a run scored, RBI and two walks. Seven different Hawkeyes recorded hits.
Iowa (14-20, 5-10) plated one in the first to take an early 1-0 lead. Hoef singled up the middle to lead off for the Hawkeyes. He moved to second on a Kyle Riffel sac bunt. Toole continued to swing the bat well, hitting a single through the right side, to put runners on first and third. Hoef scored on a wild pitch to put Iowa on the board.
Northwestern (12-17, 7-8) struck back in the third to take a 3-1 lead. The inning featured a Tommy Finn solo homer and the Wildcats took advantage of one Hawkeye error to score three unearned runs.
Northwestern added six more runs in the fourth to take control. The Hawkeyes chipped away in the bottom of the fourth to make it 9-2. Ben Geelan started things for Iowa with a one-out single, and one batter later he stole second. Hoef drove Geelan home on an RBI double down the left field line.
The Wildcats countered in the top of the fifth, scoring four runs on two hits. Northwestern took advantage of two Hawkeye errors and a Chris Lashmet three-run homer. Six of Northwestern’s 13 runs in the game were unearned, including all six in the fourth inning, as Iowa committed four errors in the contest.
The Black and Gold continued to add runs to the board in the fifth to make it 13-6. Toole started off the Iowa rally with a single to right. One batter later, Toole advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt and throwing error. Muller knocked Toole in with a single to right field. Freie followed suit with an RBI triple and Zack McCool continued things with an RBI single up the middle.
Iowa will take on Northwestern at Duane Banks Field in the nightcap of a doubleheader at approximately 4:30 p.m.
GAME SUMMARY
Northwestern 003 640 0 - 13 11 2
Iowa 100 140 0 - 6 12 4
WP- Jokisch (4-3)
LP- Manville (0-1)