JACKSONVILLE, Florida – The 18th ranked University of Iowa baseball team fell to Auburn, 7-5, on Saturday morning at 121 Financial Park.
The Hawkeyes got out to a 3-2 lead through six innings as Brody Brecht gave them a quality start on the bump.
Brecht threw six innings allowing two hits and two runs (one earned) while striking out 11 and walking four.
“I thought he pitched great at times,” said head coach Rick Heller. “It was a more consistent performance than last week. Unfortunately in the third inning, a couple free bases and it gets to Irish and he gets the two out hit. Didn’t have to work very hard for it. Then in the sixth we have a two-out miscue and they scratch another one across, two ground balls that find holes. Those two runs proved pretty big.”
Jack Whitlock was tagged with the loss allowing three runs in 2/3 of an inning. Zach Voelker allowed two earned runs in 1/3 of an inning.
Elliot Cadieux-Lanoue threw an inning walking one and striking out one.
Sam Petersen was 1-for-4 with a two-run home run. Kyle Huckstorf and Michael Seegers each tallied two hits for the Hawkeyes, and both recorded an RBI. Blake Guerin was 1-for-2 with an RBI.
Iowa loaded the bases in the first inning as Guerin walked in a run. The Hawkeyes played small ball in the second inning as Huckstorf tripled and Seegers layed down the sacrifice bunt.
The Tigers singled in a run in the third after a pair of walks. Iowa responded with a double from Gable Mitchell and RBI single from Huckstorf.
Auburn cut the lead in half in the bottom of the sixth, and they took the lead with a pair of home runs in the seventh. A home run and a sacrifice fly extended the Tiger lead in the eighth.
Petersen homered with two outs in the ninth, but the Hawkeyes were unable to continue the rally.
UP NEXT:
Iowa (3-2) returns to action tomorrow against No. 14 Virginia in the JAX College Baseball Classic at 3 p.m. (CT).