Hawkeyes Even Series With Bulls

TAMPA, Fla. --  The University of Iowa baseball team defeated South Florida, 8-2, to even the series at USF Baseball Stadium on Saturday afternoon. 

Junior Aaron Savary started on the mound for the Hawkeyes. After giving up two runs in the first, Savary settled in, recording a career-high 10 strikeouts in a career-high six innings of work. 

Junior Ganon Archer came in to relieve Savary in the seventh inning. He threw a career-high three innings, giving up one hit and striking out a trio of Bulls batters to earn the save.

“Really proud of how we bounced back today," Iowa head coach Rick Heller said. "Aaron, once he settled in, was really good. He gave up two and it could’ve been more. At one point, he retired 18 of 19. Really pounded the strike zone. Ganon came in and flooded the strike zone. We limited them to three hits again today."

Junior transfer Miles Risley put Iowa on the scoreboard in the second inning with a two-run dinger — his first as a Hawkeye — to knot the game at two. 

In the third frame, sophomore Reese Moore roped an RBI triple down the right field line to give Iowa a 3-2 lead. Junior Gable Mitchell put the Hawkeyes ahead, 4-2, with an RBI double in the fourth inning. 

In the fifth frame, graduate transfer Daniel Rogers hit a two-run shot to right field. Missouri transfer Jackson Beaman followed that up with a 440-foot solo home run in the sixth. 

Moore continued his solid day at the plate in the eighth inning, hitting a two RBI double off the wall to give the Hawkeyes an 8-2 lead. 

Senior Ben Wilmes went 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and scored two runs. He’s hitting .625 to open the season, which leads the team. 

"Offensively, we got after them," Heller said. "We did some damage today. Jackson Beaman picked up his first hit as a Hawkeye on a home run. Now we have a chance to make it a great weekend by taking care of business tomorrow.”

The Hawkeyes finished the game with 11 hits and committed two errors. The Bulls were held to three hits and committed zero errors. 

UP NEXT

Iowa and South Florida will close out the three-game series with the rubber match tomorrow beginning at 9 a.m. (CT). The game was originally scheduled for a 10 a.m. first pitch but was moved due to anticipated weather.