Iowa Takes Series at Northwestern

Stats | Stats | Boxscore

April 12, 2014

Box Score (Game 1) | Box Score (Game 2)

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By JAMES ALLAN
hawkeyesports.com

EVANSTON, Ill. — The University of Iowa baseball team swept a Saturday doubleheader at Northwestern to win its second Big Ten series of the season. The Hawkeyes pounded out 22 hits in the two games, posting an 8-1 victory in the opener before shutting out the Wildcats, 5-0, in the night cap.

“It was a big doubleheader sweep today, and I couldn’t be happier with how our guys bounced back after the tough loss last night,” said UI head coach Rick Heller. “The guys were locked and played hard all day, a solid 18 innings and didn’t commit an error.”

The Hawkeyes staked UI starter Tyler Peyton to an early lead, plating three runs in the top of the second inning after an 1:35 minute rain delay. Following a Taylor Zeutenhorst walk, junior Jake Yacinich tripled home the game’s first run before junior Kris Goodman made the score 2-0 with an RBI single to left field. Iowa’s third run scored on a sacrifice fly by junior Nick Day.

It was Yacinich’s second-straight game with a triple — a feat that hasn’t been accomplished by a Hawkeye since T.J. Cataldo had triples in consecutive contests against Michigan State and Northern Iowa in 2008.

That is all Peyton would need, as the right-hander went seven innings, allowing one run on four hits and struck out three. Peyton (4-0) pitched around base runners in all but the first inning, as he issued five walks on the afternoon, but avoided damage.

Iowa’s offense pushed its lead to 5-0 with a two-run fourth inning. Day singled home sophomore Nick Roscetti for the first run and the junior came around to score on an RBI groundout off the bat of Jake Mangler.

The Hawkeyes plated single runs in the sixth and seventh innings before surrendering Northwestern’s only run in the bottom of the eighth. Mangler drove in his second run of the game in the sixth, knocking in Day, before Yacinich led off the seventh with a solo home run to left field for his first career long ball.

Following a Luke Dauch single and a Zach Jones walk to start the eighth, Iowa went to the bullpen to sophomore Tyler Radtke. The right-hander retired the first two batters he faced before the Wildcats roped back-to-back singles, including an RBI base knock by Matt Hopfner to make the score 7-1.

Roscetti scored Iowa’s final run in the ninth. The sophomore tripled with one out down the left field line before scoring on a wild pitch.

Iowa finished with 11 hits in the game with five players — Yacinich (2-for-4, 2 runs, 2 RBIs), Goodman (2-for-5, 1 run, 1 RBI), Frankos (2-for-5), Roscetti (2-for-3, 2 runs) and Day (2-for-2, 2 runs, 2 RBIs) all posting two-hit games.

Northwestern starter Brandon Magallones (0-5) suffered the loss, allowing six runs on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings.

Junior Sasha Kuebel (4-3) was the story of game two, as the left-hander pitched the first complete game shutout of his career and the first for the Hawkeyes since 2011 (Jared Hippen). Kuebel scattered eight hits over nine innings, finishing with six strikeouts against a single walk.

“Sasha was unbelievable, just an outstanding performance,” said Heller. “He was dominant all day, and it was an incredible performance, especially coming back on short rest from midweek.”

The Hawkeyes jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning courtesy of back-to-back doubles by Roscetti and Goodman. That was the score until the seventh when Iowa added an insurance run against NU reliever Jack Livingston. Yacinich led off the frame by reaching via a hit by pitch, stole second and scored on an RBI double by Peyton, making the score 2-0.

Iowa broke the game open in the eighth, plating three runs to stretch its advantage to 5-0. Frankos led off the frame with a double to left field and Roscetti followed with a single to left before Day drove in the first run with an infield single. Mangler’s sacrifice fly to center field plated the fourth run before Dan Potempa ripped an RBI single to left field for the Hawkeyes’ final run of the day.

Iowa had 11 hits for the second-straight game and tallied its fifth-straight double-digit hit contest. Roscetti tied a career-high with three hits, finishing 3-for-5 with two runs, while Frankos (2-for-5, 1 run) and Goodman (2-for-4, 1 RBI) had two-hit games.

The Wildcats’ Jack Quigley (1-5) suffered the loss despite allowing just one run on six hits over six innings.

The Hawkeyes (20-13, 5-7) return to action Tuesday, hosting Western Illinois at 6:30 p.m. (CT) at Banks Field. Iowa returns to Big Ten play April 18-20 against Minnesota in Iowa City.