Hawkeyes Win Finale, Series Against Purdue

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May 19, 2012

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IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa baseball team pounded out 17 hits and scored the game’s first seven runs en route to a 7-6 victory over No. 13 Purdue Saturday afternoon at Duane Banks Field. Today’s rubber match victory earned the Hawkeyes the series win, handing the Boilermakers their first Big Ten series loss of the season.

Fourteen of Iowa’s 17 hits were by seniors, who played their final game in a Hawkeye uniform today. Iowa finished its season one game out of a four-way tie for sixth place in the Big Ten standings.

“I’m extremely proud of the way we played today,” said Iowa head coach Jack Dahm. “I’m very happy for our seniors. We beat an outstanding team the last two days.”

Iowa’s 21 runs scored in the three games this weekend (eight Thursday; six Friday; seven Saturday) are the most scored against the nationally-ranked Boilermakers in a three-game series this year, besting UCLA (May 5-6) and Penn State’s (March 30-April 1) 19 runs each.

Seniors Phil Keppler, Chett Zeise, Mike McQuillan and junior Dan Sheppard combined for 14 of Iowa’s 17 hits. McQuillan had four hits, including a home run, RBI, stolen base and scored two runs. The native of Evergreen Park, Ill. finishes his Hawkeye career ranked second in hits at Iowa with 242. Zeise had four singles and two stolen bases. Keppler had two singles and a double, and scored twice, while Sheppard had two doubles, a single and scored a run.

Starter Jarred Hippen won his fourth game of the season, pitching seven and two third innings, allowing five runs (four earned), while scattering seven hits and striking out five. The native of Rock Falls, Ill., finished his career with 244 strikeouts, two shy of tying Allen Rath’s (1987-90) school strikeout record (246).

Iowa (23-27, 10-14) plated the game’s first runs in the bottom of the first inning. McQuillan led off the frame with an opposite-field home run, his first big fly of the season. Keppler crossed home plate for the Hawkeyes’ second tally on a throwing error by Purdue’s shortstop. Following a Zeise steal, Sean Flanagan recorded an RBI groundout to put the home squad in front 3-0.

The Hawkeyes pushed across their fourth and fifth runs in the second. Keppler recorded an infield RBI single scoring Kasey Carling, while Zeise smacked an RBI single to left field to score McQuillan.

Iowa’s offense continued to stay hot in the third. A pair of doubles by both Dan Sheppard and Andrew Host accounted for Iowa’s sixth run.

The home squad increased their advantage to 7-0 in the sixth when Flanagan notched his second RBI of the day with a single to left field scoring Keppler.

Purdue’s offense came alive in the seventh inning scoring five runs on four hits and one Hawkeye error. The inning featured an RBI single, a run scored on a Hawkeye fielding error and a bases clearing RBI double.

Senior Nick Brown pitched the final inning and a third to notch his seventh save. With the tying run on third base in the ninth, Brown got Barrett Serrato to fly out for the final putout.

The 17 hits are the second most nationally-ranked Purdue (41-12, 17-7) allowed this season (19 vs. Penn State on April 1). Today also marked only the third time Purdue lost consecutive games, all on the road: at Wichita State (Feb. 15-16) and a doubleheader at UCLA (May 5).