Hawkeyes Score Season-High 20 in Home Opening Win

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March 21, 2012

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IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa baseball team defeated Grand View Wednesday in its home opener at Duane Banks Field, 20-1. The Hawkeye offense scored a season-high 20 runs and belted out 15 hits.

Today marked the first time Iowa has scored 20 or more runs since March 18, 2009, when it won at Tennessee-Martin, 25-6. It also marked Iowa’s largest margin of victory since the win over Tennessee-Martin.

“We are starting to get timely hits,” said head coach Jack Dahm. “We have some guys that are driving in runs right now and coming up with some clutch hits. Almost everybody had a hit today, and that is a great sign. We have to stay after it heading into the Northwestern series.”

Thirteen Hawkeyes tallied hits. Sean Flanagan became the second Iowa player this season to launch two home runs in a single game (Senior Chett Zeise recorded two in a 17-3 win over Akron on March 2). The senior finished 2-for-2 with five RBI and two runs. Sophomore Taylor Zeutenhorst registered his first career home run as well. Mike McQuillan, Phil Keppler and Ryan Rumpf each tallied two RBI. Freshman Jake Yacinich tallied his fifth multi-hit game of the season, going 2-for-5 with a run scored. Yacinich was playing against his grandfather Lou, who is Grand View’s head coach.

The Hawkeyes (7-10) scored a run in the bottom half of the first to take a 1-0 lead. Iowa took control when it extended its lead to 9-0 in the bottom of the second with eight runs, seven coming with two outs. McQuillan, Rumpf and Keppler each registered two-RBI singles.

After Grand View scored a single run in the top of the third, the Black and Gold scored four in the top of the fourth to push their advantage to 13-1. Freshman Eric Toole recorded an RBI single and Flanagan tallied his first home run of the day, a three-run shot to left center.

Iowa plated five in the fifth to make the score 19-1. Freshman Nick Day notched his first career hit in his first career Hawkeye at-bat, an RBI double down the left field line. Fellow rookie Anthony Torres collected his first career RBI, lining a single up the middle to score Day.

Iowa tacked on a run in the sixth on Zeutenhorst’s solo home run to center, pushing the lead to 19-1. The Hawkeyes added a single tally in the eighth to make the final score, 20-1.

Hedrick started and earned his first career win. The freshman pitched five innings in his second career start, allowing one run while scattering seven hits. He struck out three Vikings. Ricky Sandquist, Ben Bergman, Nick Hibbing and Andrew Hanse saw action out of the Iowa bullpen.

“He has an outstanding arm, and we are very excited about his future,” said Dahm about Hedrick. “He is a very talented kid. Grand View is a talented team, and to hold them to one run is a great job by our pitchers.”

Grand View’s Sean Roberts took the loss. He pitched one and two-thirds, allowing six runs (zero earned) on two hits.

Iowa opens Big Ten play Friday when it hosts Northwestern for a three-game set. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. The Hawkeyes and Wildcats will also play Saturday and Sunday at 1:05 p.m. each day. All games will be played at Duane Banks Field.