Hawkeyes Drop Game 1 to Washington State

CLEBURNE, Texas – The University of Iowa baseball team was defeated, 12-7, on Thursday afternoon by Washington State at La Moderna Field.

The Hawkeyes outhit the Cougars 16-10 but left 14 runners stranded.

“Our first try at a mid-week game didn’t go so well,” said head coach Rick Heller. “We didn’t pitch or play well. The offense fought hard and gave us a chance, but we just couldn’t get a shutdown inning after we scored. Too many free bases did us in. After scoring two in the top of the sixth we gave them five runs without a hit. You’re not going win when that happens.”

Iowa used eight different pitchers in a bullpen game for the Hawkeyes. Bryson Walker got the start and was tagged with the loss, allowing 2 runs in 2/3 of an inning. The pitching staff walked seven and hit five batters while striking out nine.

Five Hawkeyes tallied multi-hit games on the offensive side. Gable Mitchell has three hits while Miles Risley, Andy Nelson, Kooper Schulte and Ben Wilmes each tallied two. Caleb Wulf and Schulte each had two RBIs and Wilmes, Jackson Beaman and Max Burt each plated one.

Washington State scored six runs across the first three innings to open the game before Iowa responded with two in the fourth. The Cougars answered back with a run in the fifth and despite two Hawkeye runs in the top half of the sixth, a five run bottom half would make it 11-4. Iowa added one run in the seventh and two in the eighth but couldn’t complete the comeback.

UP NEXT

The Hawkeyes continue the four-game series with the Cougars with game two tomorrow starting at 2 p.m. (CT). Cade Obermueller will start for the Hawkeyes and the game can be heard on the Hawkeye Radio Network.