Hawkeyes Drop Game 1 to Rutgers

PISCATAWAY, New Jersey – The University of Iowa baseball team dropped its Big Ten opener to Rutgers, 5-4, on a windy Friday afternoon at Bainton Field.

The Hawkeyes tallied only four hits and left nine stranded on the basepaths in the loss.

"Rutgers gave us a bunch of opportunities today and we didn’t take advantage of them," said head coach Rick Heller. "It was the opposite with Rutgers taking advantage of the mistakes we made scoring three runs off free bases. Down three, Ben Wilmes hit a two-out, two-strike grand slam to give us the lead in the fourth. The offense didn’t score again. Rutgers scratched one in the fifth and sixth to win it. We need to be better tomorrow." 

Cade Obermueller toed the rubber first for the Hawkeyes throwing 5 2/3 innings allowing six hits and five runs (four earned). He struck out two, walked two and hit two batters.

Daniel Wright relieved him and threw the final 2 1/3 innings allowing no runs on one hit and a walk.

All of Iowa’s offense came off the bat of Ben Wilmes with a grand slam in the fourth inning. Wilmes was 2-for-5 with the four RBIs. Gable Mitchell and Colin Coonradt also each notched a hit.

The Scarlet Knights got out to a 3-0 lead after the first two innings before Iowa took the lead on Wilmes’ home run in the fourth. A solo-home run in the fifth would tie the game and a run in the sixth would prove the difference for Rutgers.

UP NEXT

The Hawkeyes and Scarlet Knights continue the three-game series with game two tomorrow at 1 p.m. (CT). Aaron Savary will start for the Hawkeyes and the game will be streamed on B1G+ and available on the Hawkeye Radio Network. Sunday’s series finale is now scheduled for 12:30 p.m.