March 12, 2010
AUSTIN, TX — The University of Iowa baseball team fell in extra innings at No. 3 Texas in front of 6,029 Friday night. In the first game of a four-game series at UFCU Disch-Falk Field the Hawkeyes plated their lone run in the first and led through eight before the Longhorns (10-3) tied it in the eighth and hit a walk off home run in the bottom of the tenth to win it. The game featured masterful pitching on both sides, 31 of the 59 outs recorded were strikeouts.
“It was a heck of a college ballgame tonight,” Head Coach Jack Dahm said. “The pitching on both sides was great. We pitched the entire game and made defensive plays. I am disappointed we came out on the wrong end, we had opportunities to push another across but it just didn’t happen. Taylor Jungmann is the top pitcher in the country and he showed it tonight, we just couldn’t get another one past him.”
Sophomore Jarred Hippen threw a solid eight and one-third innings; one out shy of his career-best and tied his season-high with eight strikeouts. (Rutgers, W 6-3) The Iowa bullpen featured Nick Brown in his first appearance of the season. Brown entered the game with one out in the ninth, runners on second and third and struck out the side.
“I thought Jarred threw great tonight,” Dahm said. “He had three pitches, he was working both sides and keeping them off balance. Besides that, he had the right attitude out there. I was also impressed with Nick. He came into one of the toughest situations in the ninth and he got two strikeouts. For his first appearance all season, that was tremendous.”
Mike McQuillan led the Hawkeye offense 2-for-3 with a triple, single and Iowa’s long walk. Ryan Durant went 1-for-4 with a run scored and stolen base. Dallas Burke went 1-for-4 with an RBI double and Sean Flanagan went 1-for-4.
In the first inning the Black and Gold (4-6) knocked in its only run with two-outs, to lead 1-0. Durant laced a two-out single through the right side; he later stole second and scored on a Burke RBI double.
Sophomore Taylor Jungmann entered the game having allowed only two earned runs in 21.2 innings pitched and a team-high 26 strikeouts. The righty gave seven and one-third innings, amassed a career-high 17 strikeouts (two shy of Longhorn school record) and while allowing only one run, received a no decision.
With Jungmann in-line for the loss, nine-hole hitter Jordan Etier stepped up in the bottom of the eighth with a solo shot down the right field line, to tie it, 1-1. With one out in the bottom of the tenth, Tant Shepherd hit an identical solo shot down the right field line to win it, 2-1.
Iowa will face the Longhorns Saturday in a doubleheader at UFCU Dish-Falk Field. Game one is a seven inning contest and game two, nine innings. First pitch is slated for 12:30 p.m.