University of Minnesota Athletics
Baseball Swept by Iowa in Big Ten Doubleheader
5/10/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
In the second game Minnesota jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Andy Hunter started the inning by walking and coming around to score on a balk by Iowa starter Cory Hollenhorst to give the Golden Gophers a 1-0 lead. Tony Leseman (St. Paul, Minn.) singled to bring home David Roach (Clearwater, Fla.) to make it 2-0. Sam Steidl (Alexandria, Minn.) capped the four-run inning with an RBI single, which brought home Jon Becker (Plato, Minn.) and Leseman to make the score 4-0.
Iowa responded with six runs in the bottom of the second inning to grab 6-4 lead. After a two-run homer by the Hawkeyes moved the score to 8-4 in the bottom of the fourth inning, the Golden Gophers rallied with five runs in the top of the fifth to take a 9-8 lead. Luke Appert (Cottage Grove, Minn.) singled and came around to score on a Roach sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 8-5. David Hrncirik (Madison, Wis.) singled up the middle to bring home Scott Welch (Missoula, Mon.) to trim the score to 8-6. After a wild pitch put runners on second and third, Becker reached first on an error by the shortstop, while Hrncirik and Hunter came around to score to tie the game at 8-8. Becker moved to third on a pair of wild pitches and came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Leseman to give the Golden Gophers a 9-8 lead.
Iowa took the lead back 10-9 on a two-RBI pinch-hit single by Lance Guyer. Appert led off the top of the sixth inning with a double and came around to score two batters later on a sacrifice fly by Hunter to tie the game at 10-10. However, Mike Best delivered a walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the seventh to give Iowa the doubleheader sweep.
Craig Molldrem (Boscobel, Wis.) gave up three runs in two and two thirds innings of relief to take the loss and fall to 1-4 on the season. Jake Hansen pitched two scoreless innings for Iowa to move to 3-0 on the season and picked up his second win of the day.
Minnesota was led offensively by Hunter who was two for two with two run and one RBI. Steidl was two for four with two RBI, while Leseman was one for two with two RBI. Appert was also two for four with two runs.
In the first game, Iowa jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the third inning on a Kyle Thousand RBI single. The Hawkeyes went up 2-0 in bottom of the fourth inning on a Brian Bucklin RBI single. Bucklin stole second, reached third on a throwing error and came home on a balk to put Iowa up 3-0.
Minnesota cut the score to 3-1 in the top of the fifth on a sole homer by Hrncirik, the first of his career. In the top of the sixth Roach doubled and came around to score on a balk to cut it to 3-2. Hunter tied the game at 3-3 on a sacrifice fly that brought home Hrncirik.
After a 47-minute rain delay the two teams resumed play in the bottom of the sixth inning. The two teams remained tied at 3-3 until the bottom of the eighth inning when Brian Bucklin doubled to right centerfield to bring home Mike Best to give the Hawkeyes a 4-3 victory.
Jeff Moen (Glenwood, Minn.) gave up one run in one and two thirds innings to take his first loss of the season, dropping 1-1. Hansen picked up his first of two wins in the doubleheader pitching two innings of relief.
Hrncirik led the way offensively going three for four with a home run and two runs on the game.
Minnesota will play Iowa in the final game of the series will be on Sunday, May 11 at 1 p.m.
