April 23, 2016
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By JAMES ALLAN
hawkeyesports.com
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa baseball team scored the game’s final five runs, but it wasn’t enough as No. 18/21 Michigan handed the Hawkeyes their first series loss at Duane Banks Field since 2014 with a 12-9 series-clinching victory Saturday afternoon in front of a season-high 2,297 in attendance.
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“I am happy we fought back and gave ourselves a chance,” said UI head coach Rick Heller. “On the other hand, I am disappointed in how we played. I felt we played poorly, especially in the first five innings.
“We didn’t handle a bunt, made an error that would have gotten us out of the inning, walked guys and fell behind. We didn’t pitch well all day and that was disappointing with a big crowd here against a good team.
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“If we would have done anything early then it would have been a whole lot different at the end because we stranded 13 runners and had opportunities to chip away and get back into it.”
The Wolverines scored in five innings and finished with 12 runs on 14 hits — the most runs surrendered by the Iowa pitching staff this season.
Michigan jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the third with the Cody Bruder delivering the big blow with a three-run double down the right field line against UI starter Ryan Erickson. The Wolverines pushed their lead to 7-0 in the fifth.
Iowa scored its first run in the fifth on a Jimmy Frankos sacrifice fly before Michigan used a three-spot in the sixth to stretch its lead to 10-1. The Hawkeyes plated three runs in the bottom half on a three-run pinch-hit home run from freshman Luke Farley — the first of his career.
Michigan extended its lead to 12-4 with single runs in the seventh and eighth innings, but Iowa wouldn’t go away. The Hawkeyes put up a three spot in the eighth, courtesy of a two-run home run from senior Tyler Peyton over the Sharp Family Video Board to cut the deficit to 12-6. Frankos also had an RBI single in the inning.
Iowa loaded the bases in the ninth inning before senior Joel Booker hit an opposite field, two-run double down the right field line to make the score 12-9. Frankos stepped to the plate as the tying run, but Michigan reliever Bryan Pall struck him out swinging to end the game.
Erickson (1-1) suffered the loss, allowing seven runs (two earned) on five hits over four innings. Michigan’s Oliver Jaskie (6-2) earned the victory, allowing three runs on five hits over 5 1/3 innings. He had five strikeouts to three walks in the game.
A quartet of seniors — Nick Roscetti, Daniel Aaron Moriel, Booker, and Peyton — had eight of Iowa’s 11 hits, all posting two-hit games. Peyton, Booker, and Frankos had two RBIs apiece.
Sunday’s series finale is slated to begin at 11 a.m. (CT).
