Iowa Baseball vs Northwestern

[IowaHawkeyeFBnBB4Life]

Iowa baseball hosts Northwestern this weekend in Iowa City. This is a big series as is every series from here on out. Iowa is currently 19 in the RPI while Northwestern is 187. So any loss to them would obviously drop our RPI. A sweep would be nice, but 2/3 is the absolute worst we want to do if we plan on making a regional.

NW hits the ball pretty well and leads the B1G in doubles. They also have a couple power guys. They also bring in a fairly high ERA, but will be throwing Brandon Magallones on Friday, Matt Portland on Saturday, and TBA on Sunday. Magallones feels like he has been there for ten years. He has a high ERA, but he has thrown some very quality starts over his time. Portland has thrown some good games too. They also have Reed Mason who has struggled this year but was solid last year.

Iowa definitely needs to keep pitching well and hopefully the bats come alive.

Games are on Friday @ 6:05pm, Saturday @ 2:05pm, and Sunday @ 1pm. there are some rain chances especially Saturday evening/night and Sunday. Some pay attention for schedule changes. Also get out there and support Iowa! Coach Heller says on Wednesday vs Cornell the guys really seem to feed off the energy from a good crowd!

Go Hawks!

 

[BondHawk]

I'm assuming the new field surfaces make it a bit easier to work around potential rain showers than in the past?

 

[Row55]

I've been wondering that myself. The big benefit for northern programs like us is keeping the surface playable early in the season, but you'd think it would take a lot of rain also, I've noticed while visiting a couple of newer minor league fields that they were built with a very noticeable crown, which I don't see at Banks Field, so I'm wondering if they have drainage tubing under the surface (and if so, how they keep the sand and rubber bits out).

 

[IowaHawkeyeFBnBB4Life]

It appears Iowa doesn't have it tonight vs NW, the pitching isn't crisp and our offense is what it is. Plus we are letting Magallones settle into a groove for NW and he has a low pitch count as well.

Still time left, but this would be a BAD BAD BAD loss which makes losing all the midweek games we have hurt even more. Could probably afford a loss tonight if we won 2-3 of those. This was my big fear heading into tonight.

NW leads 3-1 headed into the 5th



This post was edited on 4/17 7:11 PM by IowaHawkeyeFBnBB4Life

 

[IowaHawkeyeFBnBB4Life]

Apparently it's close to a standing room crowd only at Duane Banks tonight. Hopefully it's not nerves on Iowa's end...

 

[IowaHawkeyeFBnBB4Life]

Iowa wins 4-3! Iowa score three runs in the Bottom 9th to win it.

Iowa had a Guzzo single, Roscetti single to start the 9th. NW brings in a relief pitcher who walks the bases loaded as Sean Moore was PH.

Goodman hits an RBI single to cut it to 3-2 with bases still loaded and no outs, Toole gets a sac fly to tie the game and advance a runner to 3rd. Jake Mangler gets an RBI single to win the game!

This is a HUGE win and the kind you need to make something special happen. Iowa had stranded runners and 2nd & 3rd in the 5th, 6th, and 7th inning. So it wasn't looking like our night.

Tyler Peyton went 6 1/3 innings, giving up five hits and three runs (two earned), he was roughed up a little in the 1st but then settled down.

Ryan Erickson came in and went the remaining 2 2/3 inning allowing just four hits and striking out two.

Iowa is 25-10 and 9-1 in the B1G now.

Twitter had said the crowd was 1,588

 

[IowaHawkeyeFBnBB4Life]

NW is throwing their best arm ERA wise as a starter at Iowa today in Matt Portland. Hopefully, Iowa can get to him early.

 

[Ray Kinsella]

Iowa playing a double header today starting at 1:00 to beat the rain.

 

[ichawk24]

Eric Toole's diving catch was #3 in the Sportscenter top 10.


http://www.snappytv.com/tc/556314/125583

 

[BondHawk]

Originally posted by Ray Kinsella:
Iowa playing a double header today starting at 1:00 to beat the rain.

The radar doesn't look very promising for getting a 2nd game in. What are the chances they ultimately end up switching it back to Sunday if the forecast flips? Or would they just cancel the 3rd game in that case?

 

[IowaHawkeyeFBnBB4Life]

Iowa wins game one 13-4

 

[IowaHawkeyeFBnBB4Life]

Iowa got the offense going in game one today as they won 13-4 and had 16 hits.

Kris Goodman was 3-5 with 3 RBI's including a homerun and a double
Jake Mangler was 3-5 with 5 RBI's
Tyler Peyton was 2-4 with an RBI

Jimmy Frankos, Sean Moore, and Eric Toole also each had an RBI

Blake Hickman tossed seven shutout innings allowing six hits and having three strikeouts. He walked three. He is now 6-1 on the year.

Jared Mandel came in and threw the last two innings and had a 1,2,3 8th. He had a rough go in the 9th as NW had solo HR and got some things going offensively and were assisted by an error. Ultimately they scored four runs in the 9th, two of which were earned.

 

[IowaHawkeyeFBnBB4Life]

Nice article about today. Sounds like 1,961 was the crowd during game one. I didn't realize Hickman bruised his tricep, hopefully it doesn't hamper him moving forward and is ready to go.

link

 

[IowaHawkeyeFBnBB4Life]

Iowa loses 4-1 to nw. Reed Mason dominated Iowa but entered with a 6.80 era. Iowa had bases loaded in the 8th but lined into a dp. This one is going to sting in the rpi column.

 

[IowaHawkeyeFBnBB4Life]

Heller said he firmly believes had nw not made that play in the Btm 8 we win. Also says he shouldve trusted his gut and went three games in three days but ya never can tell with the weather.