Oct. 15, 2011
IOWA CITY, Iowa – – The University of Iowa baseball concluded its fall season competition schedule last night with a 5-3 loss in 11 innings to Blackhawk College. Iowa played a number of its freshmen and sophomores to help the newcomers gain valuable game experience.
Blackhawk jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first and then added another run in the ninth to increase its advantage to 3-0. Iowa rallied to tie the game with three runs in the bottom of the ninth. Andrew Host led off the inning with a bunt single. Phil Keppler then stepped to the plate and smacked a double to left center to score Host. Two batters later, Jake Mangler recorded a sacrifice fly to right field, plating Keppler. Andrew Ewing kept the rally alive with a double down the left field line, followed by Eric Toole ripping a single up the middle to drive home the tying run.
Blackhawk scored two runs in the top of the 11th to ultimately win 5-3.
Keppler and Host led the Hawkeyes offensively, each collecting two hits. Both of Keppler’s hits were doubles.
Iowa had 10 pitchers see action Friday night: Sasha Kuebel, Patrick Lala, Andrew Hedrick, Kevin Gates, Andrew Hanse, Ricky Sandquist, Taylor Kaufman, Ryan Rumpf, Nick Hibbing and Tim Fangman. Highlighting the pitching staff Friday night was Hedrick and Rumpf. Hedrick pitched two innings, recording four strikeouts, while Rumpf posted back-to-back strikeouts after entering the game with one out and the bases loaded.