May 21, 2010
IOWA CITY, IA — The Iowa baseball team took game one of a doubleheader Friday afternoon over Purdue at Duane Banks Field, 7-2. After trailing by a run to start the contest, the Hawkeyes plated the next seven runs to take control of the contest.
Iowa’s pitching staff had yet another solid outing following its shut out performance Tuesday against St. Ambrose. The Hawkeye defense was perfect, not committing an error, for the second-straight contest.
Iowa ace Jarred Hippen recorded his fourth complete game of the season and his fifth win. Hippen allowed only two runs on five hits with career-best tying nine strikeouts. Hippen outdueled Purdue ace Matt Bischoff, who entered the contest with a league-best nine victories. Bischoff got the loss, his first conference defeat and only his second overall loss on the season. The righty allowed four earned runs on nine hits, a walk, while striking out four.
The Hawkeye offense was led by Trevor Willis. Willis went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, three RBI and team game-high two homers. Kurtis Muller continued to swing the bat, going 4-for-5 with a homerun, double, stolen base, two runs scored and two RBI. Mike McQuillan also picked up a pair of hits.
Purdue (31-20, 12-10) got on the board in the top of the second for a 1-0 score. Cleanup hitter Cameron Perkins hit a double and scored the lone run.
The Hawkeyes picked up their first hit of the afternoon in the bottom of the third off Bischoff and tied the game, 1-1, with a Willis homer to left center.
Iowa (25-26, 11-11) took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth. Muller connected with a solo shot off the scoreboard in left to put Iowa on top. The big fly was his second of the season.
Iowa added insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh, picking up a pair to lead 4-1. Willis led off with a single to right and was moved over to second with a Kurt Lee sacrifice bunt. Muller got a base hit through the left side and stole second. With runners on second and third, Zach McCool singled through the right side to drive in Willis. Muller scored on a McQuillan sacrifice fly.
The Black and Gold added three more in the bottom of the eighth to conclude the scoring. Willis hit a no-doubter two-run shot to right field, his second of the game and team-best fifth of the season. Lee reached on a fielding error and later scored on a Muller double to right.
The Hawkeyes and Boilermakers will conclude today’s doubleheader with first pitch scheduled for approximately 6 p.m. at Duane Banks Field.