May 14, 2010
IOWA CITY, IA — With the game tied in the bottom of the eighth Iowa’s offense exploded with a towering three-run blast to left field off the bat of Kurt Lee. The homer lifted Iowa to a thrilling 7-5 victory over Ohio State Friday evening at Duane Banks Field.
Iowa ace Jarred Hippen had a solid performance and got a no decision. The lefty went six innings allowing three runs on ten hits with five strikeouts. The Hawkeye bullpen featured: Zach Robertson and Kevin Lee. Lee notched his ninth save of the season, while Robertson earned his fifth victory of the season. With the bases loaded and only one out in the top of the ninth, and a hot hitting Zach Hurley at the plate for the Buckeyes, Lee got Hurley to hit a liner to Lee at shortstop who flipped to second for the game-ending double play.
The Hawkeye offense was led by the Lee homer. With his first big fly as a Hawkeye, the junior drove in three runs. Mike McQuillan continued his hit-streak to 13-games and registered his team-best 22nd multi-hit game going 2-for-4. Mike Corbeil went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Tyson Blaser drove in a pair of runs.
“What a game,” Head Coach Jack Dahm said. “We felt good after the Kurt Lee homer, that’s for sure. Then Kevin Lee, that’s Kevin. He finds a way to get it done even if it’s not pretty. He’s a competitor. That’s a good college baseball game and it is going to be a battle all weekend.”
Iowa (22-25, 9-10) put up a three spot in the first inning to lead, 3-0. With one out, Zach McCool doubled down the right field line. Both Ryan Durant and Phil Keppler drew walks to load the bases. Corbeil picked up a two-out RBI with a single. Blaser followed suite with a single to right to drive in Durant and Keppler.
Left fielder Trevor Willis gunned out Michael Stephens at the plate to get the final out of the fifth inning, however Ohio State got on the board, 3-2. The inning featured a Hurley triple to center and Cory Kovanda sacrifice fly.
The Hawkeyes picked up an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth to further its lead, 4-2. McQuillan led off with a single to center and scored on a Keppler double to the right center gap.
Ohio State (26-20, 9-10) plated one in the sixth to trial, 4-3. Ohio State tied it up, 4-4, in the top of the eighth via a wild pitch but stranded two on base. Hurley picked up his third hit and scored the lone run. The Buckeyes tallied one in the ninth on a Ryan Dew leadoff home run to right center.
The Hawkeyes take on Ohio State in game two of the three-game series tomorrow afternoon at Duane Banks Field. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.