University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Defeats Iowa 8-7 in Big Ten Series Opener
5/9/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Glen Perkins (Stillwater, Minn.) picked up the win going six innings, giving up 11 hits, five runs and striking out eight batters. Perkins set the Minnesota single-season record for strikeouts in Big Ten play, previously held by Mike Diebolt at 63, by recording eight to move to 68 in conference play. He also tied the record set by C.J. Woodrow (Plymouth, Minn.) last year, for most wins in Big Ten play by a Minnesota pitcher with seven.
Minnesota scored for the 26th time in 48 games in the first inning to go up 1-0. Sam Stiedl (Alexandria, Minn.) led off the game with a double on the first pitch, and came around to score on an RBI single by Ben Pattee (Ukiah, Calif.) to make the score 1-0. Iowa came right back in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by Nate Yoho to bring home Kyle Thousand to tie the game at 1-1.
The Golden Gophers jumped ahead 3-1 in the top of the second when Jon Becker (Plato, Minn.) delivered a two-out, two-run homer, his second of the season. Minnesota added another run when Luke Appert (Cottage Grove, Minn.) doubled home Steidl to move the score to 4-1.
Minnesota widened the gap in the top of fifth with four runs to move the score to 8-1. Steidl started the inning reaching on his third hit of the game. Pattee followed with a single, and Steidl advanced to third on an error by the leftfielder. Steidl came around to score on a wild pitch to make it 5-1, and Pattee scored on an RBI single by Appert to move the score to 6-1. With two outs David Roach (Clearwater, Fla.) hit a two-run homer, his third of the season, to put Minnesota up 8-1.
Jeff Gremley homered in the bottom of the sixth inning to cut the lead to 8-2. Luis Andrulonis delivered a two-out RBI single to trim the lead to 8-3, but that was all the Hawkeyes would get in the inning. The first two batters in the bottom of the seventh reached on singles to start off the inning for Iowa, as it chased starter Perkins from the game. Jeff Gremley delivered a two-run double to cut the score to 8-5, and Nate Yoho followed that up with an RBI double to make it 8-6. With two outs, Andy Cox cut the lead to one run with an RBI double to make it 8-7. However, freshman reliever Brian Bull (Omaha, Neb.) got Luis Andrulonis to ground to the shortstop to end the inning.
Bull got the first two outs of the eighth inning, but two runners reached to make it first and second. Jeff Moen (Glenwood, Minn.) came in and walked Yoho, but retired Mike Best to end the inning. Moen closed out the ninth inning for the save.
Perkins picked up the win to move to 8-1 on the season. Moen picked up his seventh save of the season, and sixth in Big Ten play. The six saves moved Moen into sole possession of the Minnesota single season Big Ten saves record. Nathan Johnson pitched a complete game for Iowa, giving up eight runs in nine innings. Johnson took the loss to fall to 5-2 on the season.
Offensively Steidl led the way going four for five with three runs on the night. Roach was three for four with a home run, two runs and two RBI. Becker was two for four with a homer and two RBI, while Appert was two for five with two RBI. Pattee also had three hits, a run and an RBI on the night.
Minnesota will take on Iowa in a doubleheader that will be played on Saturday, May 10 at 4 p.m. The final game of the series will be on Sunday, May 11 at 1 p.m.
