Hawkeyes Fall to Cougars, 7-4

The Hawkeyes had 10 hits to the Cougars' 13. Each team stranded 11 runners on base. 

"Washington State played better than us today," said head coach Rick Heller. "We weren’t bad, but they were better. On the mound, offensively and defensively. Our guys played hard and we had our chances. Some bad luck played into it today as well.  In the end, the mistakes we did make cost us." 

Iowa used four pitchers on Friday. LHP Cade Obermueller started on the mound for the Hawkeyes and was credited with the loss. He gave up four runs – three earned – and eight hits while striking out seven in six innings of work.  Anthony Watts (0.2 IP), Brant Hogue (2.0 IP) and Gannon Archer (0.1 IP), came out of the bullpen, yielding three earned runs on five hits while punching out three Cougars. 

Junior Caleb Wulf led Iowa at the plate, going 4-for-5 with three RBIs and a double. Transfer Jackson Beaman went 1-for-3, hitting his third home run as a Hawkeye. 

Iowa got on the board first when Wulf hit a two-out RBI double to score junior Miles Risley. The second and third innings were scoreless for both squads.

Washington State took a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning after an RBI bunt single and a throwing error. Iowa regained the lead on a Wulf RBI single in the fifth.

The Cougars responded, scoring two runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to go up, 6-3. The Hawkeyes plated one more in the bottom of the seventh, but that was it for the offense.  

"Caleb Wulf had a fantastic day," said Heller. "Four hits and he drove in three runs. Brant Hogue was solid out of the pen and gave us a chance to come back. Gannon Archer came in to a bases loaded jam in the 9th and got us out of it. We need to play better tomorrow." 

UP NEXT

The Hawkeyes continue the four-game series with the Cougars with game three tomorrow at 2 p.m. (CT). Right-hander Aaron Savary will start on the mound for Iowa. The game can be heard on the Hawkeye Radio Network.