March 20, 2010
EDINBURG, TX – The University of Iowa Hawkeye baseball team lost the first game of a Saturday doubleheader, 13-2, to UT-Pan American at Edinburg Baseball Stadium.
Iowa (4-12) got on the board first in the top of the first inning. Kurtis Muller led off the game with a double down the right field line. After advancing to third on a groundout, he then crossed home plate on a Mike McQuillan RBI groundout to first base to give the Hawkeyes the early 1-0 advantage.
The Hawkeyes’ lead was short-lived as UT-Pan American (9-4) sent nine batters to the plate in the second frame, scoring five runs on three hits and an error off Hawkeye sophomore starter Phil Schreiber. Four of the five runs scored were unearned. The big blow was a Garrett Bivone two-out, three-RBI double down the left field that cleared the bases.
Iowa made the score 5-2 in the fourth with four consecutive walks. Ryan Durant scored on an Andrew Host bases-loaded RBI walk.
The Broncs extended their lead to 10-2 in the bottom of the fourth, scoring five more on three hits and a Hawkeye throwing error. UT-Pan American added another run in the sixth and two more in the seventh to make the final score, 13-2.
Muller, Zach McCool and Phil Keppler recorded Iowa’s three hits. Muller has registered at least one hit in 12 of the 15 games he has played in this season.
The Broncs’ Cody Plunk earned his second victory of the year despite walking eight Hawkeyes in six-plus innings. Plunk allowed only two runs and three hits, while striking out four. Schreiber got the loss, going three innings, yielding eight runs (four earned) and striking out three.
UT-Pan American’s two-four hitters combined for six RBI on six hits, two walks and a hit-by-pitch. The Broncs’ clean-up hitter, Bivone, was a triple shy of a cycle, clubbing a home run, double and a single to go along with a walk, four RBI and a run scored.
Iowa’s bullpen, in game one, featured junior Patrick Schatz, redshirt freshman Patrick Brennan and junior Jeff Pacha. Today was Brennan’s first collegiate game action.
Iowa and UT-Pan American will play the nightcap of today’s doubleheader at 5 p.m.