Illinois State Beats Hawkeyes, 10-6

March 11, 2012

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Illinois State beat the University of Iowa baseball team, 10-6, Sunday afternoon at Chain of Lakes Park. The game was part of the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational.

Freshman Ryan Rumpf gave the Hawkeyes an early 1-0 advantage in the bottom of the first with an RBI single up the middle, which scored Mike McQuillan from third base.

Iowa (3-8) plated three more in the third frame on four hits to extend its lead to 4-0. Chett Zeise and Dan Sheppard each registered RBI singles, while Jake Mangler had an RBI groundout to account for the three third-inning Hawkeye runs.

Illinois State answered with eight combined runs in the middle frames. The Redbirds tallied an RBI-double off Hawkeye lefty Matt Dermody in the fourth to cut the Iowa lead to 4-1. Illinois State tied the game in the fifth with three unearned runs on two walks and three Iowa errors.

The Redbirds scored four runs in the sixth, all with two outs, off Hawkeye reliever Tim Fangman to take an 8-4 advantage. Illinois State scored the four runs on four hits and a walk.

Iowa cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the sixth on two hits and an error. Sean Flanagan scored on a pass ball, while Jake Yacinich scored from third base on a Kris Goodman singled to second base to make the score 8-6.

Illinois State (10-3) added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh on consecutive wild pitches by reliever Ben Bergman.

Mangler and Goodman each had two singles and an RBI to lead the Hawkeyes offensively.

In addition to Dermody, Fangman and Bergman, senior Phil Keppler and freshman Ryan Rumpf saw action on the mound. Fangman got the loss.

Iowa returns to action Monday when it plays Eastern Illinois at 4 p.m. (CT).