University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Iowa
Iowa Rides Early Runs to 10-2 Win
5/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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May 9, 2015
Minnesota could not recover after an early onslaught of runs from No. 16/18 Iowa, and lost 10-2 in the second game of the series at Duane Banks Field. The Hawkeyes (36-12, 17-3 Big Ten) had 10 hits, and the Golden Gophers (19-28, 7-13 Big Ten) had eight and left 10 men on base in Iowa City.
Second baseman Connor Schaefbauer batted 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI. No other Minnesota batter had multiple hits. Dan Potempa went 3-for-4 with a double and four RBIs for Iowa.
Iowa batted eight in each of its first two turns at the plate, scoring four runs on three hits in each. Potempa hit a three-run double in the first and Tyler Peyton hit a three-run triple in the second. Three walks and error also played to Iowa's advantage during its 8-0 start.
Starter Fred Manke (1-1) was tagged with six of those runs, five earned, and reliever Toby Anderson with two. Anderson pitched three innings, entering the second with two men on and no outs.
After Blake Hickman (8-1) retired the Gophers in order the first time through their lineup, they got on the scoreboard in the fourth. Center fielder Dan Motl extended his reached base streak to 21 games with a single to right field. He scored when Schaefbauer doubled off the wall in right-center. Shortstop Michael Handel drew a one-out walk, but the Gophers did not score again in the inning.
Despite the Gophers tallying three straight singles in the sixth, the Iowa defense got out of the inning without allowing a run. Matt Fiedler, who had pitched the previous inning, hit a one-out single. Handel and catcher Matt Halloran followed with hits of their own. Fiedler was thrown out from right field trying to score from second on Halloran's hit, and a flyout ended the inning.
After the fifth, the Hawkeyes did not have another hit. Fiedler retired the first eight batters he faced before issuing two straight walks. He closed out the seventh with his fourth strikeout. Lance Thonvold also pitched a 1-2-3 inning, in the eighth.
Hickman allowed five hits and a run in his six-inning start for the Hawkeyes. Brandon Shulista and Tyler Radtke pitched the rest of the game. Iowa's staff combined to strike out eight Gophers.
NOTABLE
*Fiedler tied his season high with four strikeouts. He also struck out four at North Dakota State on Tuesday. He has eight strikeouts in five innings this week.
*Schaefbauer has 15 games with multiple hits this season, second on the team to Handel, who has 17.
UP NEXT
The series finale between Minnesota and Iowa is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. CT, to be televised on BTN. A free audio broadcast will be available on GopherSports.com.
