Iowa Downs Jackrabbits in 11 Innings

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April 25, 2014

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By JAMES ALLAN
hawkeyesports.com

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Senior Taylor Zeutenhorst’s bases-loaded RBI single propelled the University of Iowa baseball team to a 2-1 walk-off victory in 11 innings over South Dakota State on Friday night at Duane Banks Field. It is the Hawkeyes’ third walk-off win this season.

After leaving 13 bases runners stranded, including nine in scoring position, over the first 10 innings, the Hawkeye bats finally broke through for the game-winning run in the bottom of the 11th. Junior Nick Day started the inning by reaching on a hit by pitch before junior Eric Toole moved him into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt.

Junior Jake Mangler followed with a bloop single down the right field line before South Dakota State intentionally walked Jake Yacinich to load the bases. Zeutenhorst followed by lacing a 1-0 pitch through the right side to send the Hawkeyes to the 2-1 victory.

Iowa’s pitching staff shined in the game. Four sophomore hurlers allowed just three hits in 11 innings, while 19 of the 33 outs came via the strikeout. The strikeouts are the most by a team in a single game this season.

Starter Calvin Mathews pitched 3 1/3 innings, allowing one run via a solo home run with four strikeouts before leaving the game with an injury in the fourth. Blake Hickman followed with four innings of two-hit relief, striking out eight Jackrabbits against two walks. Jared Mandel had three strikeouts in two innings of hitless relief before sophomore Tyler Radtke (1-2) pitched the final 1 2/3 innings, striking out four against a single walk, to earn his first victory of the season.

“Nobody got down when Calvin went down, that’s what was impressive to me,” said UI head coach Rick Heller. “They stepped it up and found a way. Blake stuck his chest out and went right at them, Jared has been doing an awesome job the last month, and Radtke was good, too. I am happy with those guys picking up the slack.”

The Hawkeye offense pounded out 13 hits in the game with every player accounting for at least one hit. Mangler and Zeutenhorst both had three-hit games, finishing 3-for-6 with Zeutenhorst delivering the game-winning RBI single. Day scored both Iowa runs in the contest.

Mathews held the Jackrabbits hitless over the first three innings before South Dakota State cleanup hitter Matt Johnson connected on a 2-1 pitch and launched it over the right field fence to make the score 1-0 in the top of the fourth. One batter later, Mathews left the game after throwing 59 pitches.

Offensively, Iowa loaded the bases with one-out in the bottom of the first, but left the bases stranded. The Hawkeyes then put two runners on in the third and fifth and one in the sixth before finally breaking through against Jackrabbit starter Adam Bray.

Day got things started, reaching on a hit by pitch before Toole tied the game at one with an RBI triple off the glove of SDSU centerfielder Zach Coppola. Iowa couldn’t get Toole home, as Bray struck out Mangler looking before Toole was thrown out at the plate when trying to score on a Yacinich groundout to second base with the infield in.

Bray gave up one run on seven hits over seven innings, and he finished with nine strikeouts. Jackrabbit closer J.D. Moore (4-3) suffered the loss, allowing one run on three hits in three innings.

Games two and three in the weekend series will be contested Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. (CT).