Iowa Wins 2nd-Straight Series; Downs Purdue in Extras

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May 17, 2013

Box Score

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Four runs scored following sophomore Nick Day’s two-out, 10th inning double to lift the University of Iowa baseball team to a 9-5 extra inning victory over Purdue on Friday night at Alexander Field.

The win gives the Hawkeyes the series win over the Boilermakers — Iowa’s second straight series victory. Iowa downed Purdue, 2-1, in 11 innings last night, and took 2-of-3 games against Michigan State last weekend in Iowa City.

“We’re starting to show a little bit of character and a little bit of fight,” said UI head coach Jack Dahm. “That was my biggest concern coming in this weekend — how were we going to battle and were we going to find something to sink our teeth into to win some games?

“I am very proud of what the guys have done the last three weekends. We’re all beat up, we’re the ugliest team in America right now, but we’re finding a way, and that’s good to see.”

After seeing its 5-2 lead dwindle away in the eighth and ninth innings, the Hawkeyes shifted the game’s momentum in their favor with a four-run 10th.

With one out, sophomore Taylor Kaufman started things off with a walk before freshman Jimmy Frankos delivered a pinch-hit single through the left side to put a pair on base. Following an Iowa strikeout for the second out of the inning, freshman Nick Roscetti reached via an infield single to load the bases before the “birthday boy” — Day — delivered.

The Solon, Iowa, native roped a double down the right field line on a 2-2 count to break the game open. Day was credited with two RBIs on the play, and he advanced to third and scored on a two-base throwing error by Purdue right fielder Conner Hudnall.

“What a birthday for Nick Day,” said Dahm. “He had that huge swing of the bat to give us the big lead and score four runs. It was a great birthday present for him and it was great for the team.”

Freshman Josh Martsching entered in a non-save situation in the bottom of the inning, but he closed the door on any Purdue hope, sitting down the Boilermakers on seven pitches to send the Hawkeyes to the victory.

Iowa pounded out 14 hits in the game with three players tallying multi-hit contests. Sophomore Eric Toole went 5-of-5 — all singles — and reached base in all six plate appearances. Toole tied school records for hits and singles in a game. It is the 15th time and first since 2010 that a player has had five hits and his five singles tied his brother Justin Toole’s feat that last occurred in 2009.

Sophomore Anthony Torres went 2-of-5 with a run and RBI, while Roscetti was 2-of-5 with two RBIs and a run scored. It was Torres’ seventh and Roscetti’s sixth multi-hit game this season. Day and Kaufman both had two-RBI games.

Sophomore Nick Hibbing was credited with the victory — his second in as many games — after tossing 1/3 of an inning in relief of left-handed starter Sasha Kuebel. Kuebel received a no-decision after allowing five runs on 10 hits in 8 2/3 innings.

“Sasha was tremendous,” said Dahm. “We wanted him to get that win; we wanted him to finish this game off. It didn’t happen, but we wouldn’t have won without the way Sasha pitched.”

The Hawkeyes jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third inning on a pair of hits. Sophomore Jake Yacinich scorched a swinging bunt down the first base line to knock in Day for Iowa’s first run before Torres followed with an RBI groundout to give the Hawkeyes the two-run advantage.

Purdue evened things up in the bottom of the fourth. The Boilermakers cut the lead in half in one swing of the bat when Sean McHugh led off the inning with a solo home run to left centerfield, and Cody Strong’s RBI single up the middle evened the tally at two.

Iowa grabbed the momentum in the sixth, pushing three runs across the plate to take a 5-2 advantage. Torres got things started with a lead-off single to centerfield before Kaufman drew a one-out walk to put a pair of runners on base. After senior Keith Brand reached via a hit by pitch — his 22nd of the season — to load the bases, junior Taylor Zeutenhorst gave the Hawkeyes the 3-2 lead after knocking in a run while reaching on a fielder’s choice.

With two on and two outs, Roscetti gave the Hawkeyes some insurance runs when he drove in a pair with an opposite field base hit to push the Iowa lead to 5-2.

Purdue, however, wouldn’t go away quietly in its final six outs. McHugh connected on his second blast of the game to lead off the eighth to make the score 5-3. In the bottom of the ninth, the Boilermakers pushed two runs in, the final coming off McHugh’s two-out, RBI triple down the right field line.

Iowa (21-27, 9-14) will go for the series sweep Saturday in the season finale beginning at 12 p.m. (CT).

“We want to get a sweep,” said Dahm. “We haven’t had a sweep all year, and that’d be a great way to finish the year. I think you’re going to see a team that will really battle and end the season on a positive.”