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COLLEGE PARK, Md. — The University of Iowa baseball team fell behind 2-0 after one and 5-1 after three before falling, 8-4, to Maryland in game two of the series on Friday night at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium.
Iowa has lost four straight games to fall to 30-21 (12-11) on the season. Iowa needs a win or a Northwestern or Ohio State loss to clinch a spot in the Big Ten Tournament.
Sophomore Cam Baumann (4-4) was handed the loss in a shaky outing that lasted only 3 1/3 innings. The southpaw walked five and gave up six hits before freshman Duncan Davitt pitched 4 1/3 innings of dominant relief.
Davitt allowed one inherited runner to score in the fourth and sat down eight straight Terrapins from the fifth to the eighth inning. The Indianola, Iowa, native tied a career-high with six strikeouts to only two walks and two hits with his only blemish being a solo home run.
“Duncan Davitt came in and did a tremendous job out of the bullpen,” head coach Rick Heller said. “It was his best outing of the year. He gave us a chance, we just couldn’t pull it off.”
Offensively, Iowa scored a run in the third, fifth, seventh, and ninth innings, but could never put together a big inning to mount a comeback.
Senior Tanner Wetrich went 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI from the nine hole, sophomore Izaya Fullard went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, and freshman Brendan Sher, who started at third base, scored two runs.
QUOTING HEAD COACH RICK HELLER
“It didn’t start out well for us. We got out to a rough start on the mound and gave them five runs in the first three innings to fall behind. (Zach) Thompson was good tonight; he kept us off stride. We were able to fight back a little bit.
“We gave up some freebies in the first three innings that led to a couple big innings and it cost us the game.”
OF NOTE…
- Iowa has never led in the first two game of the series.
- Fullard extended his hitting streak to nine games and on-base streak to 20 with a 2-for-3 effort.
UP NEXT
Tomorrow will be Iowa’s regular-season finale in game three against Maryland. Junior right-hander Grant Judkins (4-6, 2.18 ERA) will start for the Hawkeyes.
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