Hawkeyes Fall to Texas Tech in Late Innings

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March 11, 2011

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LUBBOCK, Texas – – The Iowa baseball team rallied from an early four-run deficit to tie Texas Tech only to allow a game-winning, two-RBI single in the bottom of the eighth and fall 9-7 Friday in game one of the Texas Tech Invitational at Dan Law Field. The Hawkeyes pounded out 12 hits in defeat.

With the game tied 7-7, Hawkeye reliever Zach Kenyon started the bottom of the eighth retiring the first two batters. However, Texas Tech’s nine-hole hitter sparked the two-out rally with a double to left. After a hit-by-pitch and walk, Kelby Tomlinson singled to right for the game-winning hit and RBI. Kenyon got the loss in relief, allowing three runs in one and two thirds.

Trailing by four entering the eighth inning, the Hawkeyes mounted a furious comeback. Iowa plated four runs on three hits and an error to even the score. Chett Zeise got his second hit of the game, connecting on an RBI single to right scoring Andrew Ewing to close to within three. With runners on second and third and two outs, Trevor Willis delivered a clutch single up the middle to score Zeise and Bryan Niedbalski. Iowa scored the game-tying run on throwing error by Texas Tech’s second baseman, which allowed Willis to cross home plate. Tyson Blaser grounded out to end the inning, stranding Willis at third.

Zeise and Willis led the Hawkeyes offensively. Zeise went 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs score and a home run. Willis, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Week, collected three hits, two RBI and two runs scored. Niedbalski had a pair of singles and runs scored.

Texas Tech (9-5) plated runs in the first and second to claim an early 2-0 lead. The Red Raiders collected and RBI groundout in the first and a lead-off home run in the second off Hawkeye starter Jarred Hippen.

Blaser got the visitors on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth with a two-out, RBI single to left scoring to score Willis and make the score 2-1.

The Red Raiders scored three in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI double, single and sacrifice fly to extend their advantage to 5-1.

Iowa (4-6) tallied two runs in the sixth on a Zeise two-run homer to left field to cut the deficit to 5-3. The home run was Iowa’s first of the season.

Texas Tech added single tallys in the sixth and seventh on an RBI single and sacrifice fly, respectively.

Hippen yielded six earned runs on 12 hits, while striking out three in six innings of work. Texas Tech starter Daniel Coulombe also earned a no-decision, throwing six innings, while allowing three runs on nine hits.

Iowa and Texas Tech conclude their two-game series tomorrow at 4 p.m.