March 31, 2009
IOWA CITY, IA — The Iowa baseball team plated six runs in the third inning and never looked back in an 11-8 triumph over Upper Iowa Tuesday night at Duane Banks Field. Senior Wes Freie led the team going 2-for-3 with a career-high five RBI, two homers and a walk. The two shots sailed over the left field fence and put his team-leading season total to six.
Starter Phil Schreiber picked up his first career win with a solid five innings outing, allowing only one run on four hits. The Hawkeye bullpen featured: Tony Manville, Matt Douglas, Kyle Heim, Sean Flanagan and Nick Erdman.
Iowa’s offense was red-hot in the victory; Chett Zeise went 3-for-5 with a double and Kurtis Muller went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI. Andrew Ewing and Mike McQuillan each drew two walks and scored a run.
The Hawkeyes (10-12) broke the board in the third, plating six on four extra base hits for a 6-0 lead. McQuillan led the inning off with a walk and Dallas Burke took his base after been hit by a pitch. With runners on first and second, Justin Toole continued his hit streak to 11 games with an RBI double down the left field line. One batter later, Muller followed suite and drove in two runs with a double to the warning track in center. Freie continued Iowa’s rally with a two-run bomb deep over the left field fence on the first pitch. One out later, Zeise doubled to left field, followed by a Zach McCool two-out single to pick up his ninth RBI of the season.
The Peacocks (5-14) knocked in a run in the fifth to make it a 6-1 ballgame. The inning featured an Erik Sorensen double and run.
Iowa’s offense added two insurance runs in the fifth for an 8-1 lead. With one out, Muller singled to third base, and later stole two bases to get to third. Freie walked to put runners on the corners, followed by a Cataldo walk to load the bases. Zeise singled to left field for to pick up an RBI and one out later, McQuillan walked in a run.
Upper Iowa also scored a run in the sixth for an 8-2 score. Tom Longoni tripled and scored the run.
The Hawkeye offense continued to push the game out of reach, scoring three in the sixth for an 11-2 lead. The inning featured a three-run Freie homer – his second of the game and a career-high sixth on the year. Freie’s second big fly raises Iowa’s team total to 20, which is one shy of the Hawkeyes’ entire total all of last season.
The Peacocks manufactured two more runs in the top of the eighth to make the score, 11-4. In the ninth, Upper Iowa loaded the bases without a hit to start the frame. Flanagan then yielded a two-RBI double to right field, which cut Iowa’s advantage to five (11-6). After registering a double play, he allowed another two-RBI double to right field to make the score, 11-8. Erdman then entered the game to get the final out and collect his first career save.
Iowa will travel to Normal, IL, to take on the Illinois State Redbirds tomorrow; first pitch is set for 6 p.m. at Duffy Field.
GAME SUMMARYUpper Iowa 000 011 204 - 8 9 1Iowa 006 023 00X - 11 10 2
WP - Schreiber (1-0)LP - Duske (0-1)SV - Erdman (1)