Iowa v Texas Tech - Sunday, March 12th

[AuroraHawk]

Hawks grab early 3-0 lead. 2 in the first and 1 in the second.

Morgan starts B2 with 2 walks. And is 2-0 on 3rd hitter.

EDIT: HBP (on a guy that hasn’t had a hit all year) Bases juiced. No outs.

EDIT 2: Disaster averted. 6-4; K; 6-3.

3-1 good guys to T3

Morgan buckled down nicely and threw strikes. Worked ahead in counts. Absolute key to him being successful.

 

[AuroraHawk]

Hucksdorf with a solo shot to get that run back. 4-1. To B3.

 

[AuroraHawk]

Iowa scores a run in top half of inning.

Any guess what Morgan did with the first batter in B3?

Yep, walk. Then he throws a pickoff wide and into RF.

EDIT: Walk, F-8, RBI single (runner advances to 3rd on throwing error)

EDIT: 3 run HR and Iowa is now trailing. Flipping handing a great hitting team baserunners. Recipe for failure.

 

[AuroraHawk]

T4: TT decides that it wants to hand runs to Iowa as well. Iowa has been recipient of 4 walks. Single, walk, walk, walk (run scored), Sac Fly (run scored), walk. Bases juiced - one out.

EDIT: F---. 5-3 DP. Rally squelched.

Iowa has scored 6 runs on 4 hits. TT has scored 5 runs on 3 hits. Desperately need a clean half inning in B4.

 

[AuroraHawk]

Kudos when kudos are deserved. Great half inning for Morgan. 1-2-3. Two grounders and a K on a 3-2 pitch.

Hawks up a run but, with 5 to play, 6 runs isn't going to be enough. Can't help but think that it is going to take double digits to win this game.

 

[AuroraHawk]

3 innings to go. Iowa up 1. 7-6.
Llewellyn with 2 IP and 1 run given up (another HR by a hitter that is hitting 8th in TT's order and would likely be hitting 4th in Iowa's order)

Gotta plate some runs . . .

 

[AuroraHawk]

Well . . . to B8 and it is 7-7. Iowa will have 1-2-3 due up in T9. Desperately need a clean inning. Obermueller on the mound in T9 and Anthony is warming in the bullpen. TT has 9-1-2 up in B8.

 

[AuroraHawk]

Obermueller gets TT and only faces 3 hitters.
K
HBP/caught stealing.
K

He looks good . . . really good. Interesting arm angle.

To T9. #InsideOutAndBackwards

TT going to Ryan Free who pitched on Friday and pounded the strike zone.

 

[AuroraHawk]

Hell yeah!
E-6 and incredible hustle by Hucksdorf puts runner on 2B with one out. SS "lallygagged" to get ball in short LF after the error and Hucksdorf never slowed a bit going around 1B.
Dorighi rips a single to RF.

Iowa up 8-7. Put a "star" on the scorecard for Hucksdorf. That's a hustle run.

Pitching change.

Infield single - Anthony (slowly hit down 3rd base line)
Infield single - Tello (diving stop by 1st baseman saves a run).
Bases juiced. One out.

Hell yeah!
Double (one bouncer off the wall) by Moseley. 2 runs plated. Iowa up 10-7.
EDIT: Tough gig for TT OF Helton. He's murdered Iowa pitching this series and suffered an injury diving into the wall in an effort to catch Moseley's rocket. Looks to be hand/wrist injury. TT's TV announcers pointed out that he wasn't even trying to flex his fingers or wrist. Looked to be in a lot of pain.

EDIT 2: Iowa strands runners on 2nd and 3rd with only one out. Hope that doesn't come back and bite.

 

[Randy Marsh]

Hell yeah!
E-6 and incredible hustle by Hucksdorf puts runner on 2B with one out. SS "lallygagged" to get ball in short LF after the error and Hucksdorf never slowed a bit going around 1B.
Dorighi rips a single to RF.

Iowa up 8-7. Put a "star" on the scorecard for Hucksdorf. That's a hustle run.

Pitching change.

Infield single - Anthony (slowly hit down 3rd base line)
Infield single - Tello (diving stop by 1st baseman saves a run).
Bases juiced. One out.

Hell yeah!
Double (one bouncer off the wall) by Moseley. 2 runs plated. Iowa up 10-7.
EDIT: Tough gig for TT OF Helton. He's murdered Iowa pitching this series and suffered an injury diving into the wall in an effort to catch Moseley's rocket. Looks to be hand/wrist injury. TT's TV announcers pointed out that he wasn't even trying to flex his fingers or wrist. Looked to be in a lot of pain.

Was kind of dumb that after 10 minutes of dealing with the injury, then TT calls in the reliever and they go to commercial. Come on.

 

[AuroraHawk]

Obermueller stays on the mound.

 

[AuroraHawk]

Was kind of dumb that after 10 minutes of dealing with the injury, then TT calls in the reliever and they go to commercial. Come on.

Very orchestrated by TT's coach to stem momentum

 

[AuroraHawk]

Iowa scores 3 in T9.
What does Iowa's pitcher do? Take a wild guess . . .
And, FWIW, I'm stunned that it would be Anthony in next. I was under impression that Christopherson was the closer.

EDIT: 2 run HR . . . no outs. Iowa's lead cut to 1.

EDIT 2: After starting TT's best hitter at 2-0, Obermueller gets a swinging K (2-2 pitch). Three great pitches.

EDIT 3: Another hitter starts 2-0 and Obermueller gets a swinging K (3-2 pitch).

HELL YEAH. Obermueller coaxes a grounder to Dorighi for an unassisted out. Got him on an 0-2 pitch. Hawks salvage a win and avoid a sweep. That will be a Q1 win when the season ends.

 

[ssckelley]

Whew.....Iowa salvaged 1

 

[ssckelley]

 

[ssckelley]

With that road win the way-too-early-RPI-watch puts Iowa up to 10th.

 

[AuroraHawk]

With that road win the way-too-early-RPI-watch puts Iowa up to 10th.

It’s #9 right now.

 

[chonk]

It’s #9 right now.

That was a big win. For the teams mentality and national perception come tourney time.

TTU has a real strong O, pitching is nothing special. Gonna keep an eye on them & Ok St next weekend.

Lots to take away from this weekend. Not all good obviously but numerous encouraging items.

 

[ssckelley]

It’s #9 right now.

All down hill from here though, next 4 games are against teams with horrible records and RPI's well over 200. No room for error, Iowa has to sweep these games against St Thomas and SDSU.

I was wrong on the RPI formula, I was using basketballs, in baseball the opponents record makes up 50% of the RPI with 25% being your own record and 25% the opponent-opponents record. Also the wins is .7 for home games and 1.3 on the road so Iowa really went 1.3-1.4 against Texas Tech.

 

[AuroraHawk]

That was a big win. For the teams mentality and national perception come tourney time.

TTU has a real strong O, pitching is nothing special. Gonna keep an eye on them & Ok St next weekend.

Lots to take away from this weekend. Not all good obviously but numerous encouraging items.

Heller’s pre-game on Saturday suggested that Langenberg’s status as a Friday starter is tenuous. He probably has one more Friday start to right the ship. Voelker could become a weekend starter. Obermueller (despite the 9th inning Hr) made a statement today. Perhaps just as important was Heller’s confidence in staying with him in the 9th after the HR and Iowa nirsing a 1 run lead and NEEDING a win. I wouldnt be surprised to see Voelker move into Friday slot with Langenberg and Obermeuller being long relief.

 

[MitchLL]

Kudos when kudos are deserved. Great half inning for Morgan. 1-2-3. Two grounders and a K on a 3-2 pitch.

Hawks up a run but, with 5 to play, 6 runs isn't going to be enough. Can't help but think that it is going to take double digits to win this game.

Buy a lottery ticket, ASAP

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

All down hill from here though, next 4 games are against teams with horrible records and RPI's well over 200. No room for error, Iowa has to sweep these games against St Thomas and SDSU.

I was wrong on the RPI formula, I was using basketballs, in baseball the opponents record makes up 50% of the RPI with 25% being your own record and 25% the opponent-opponents record. Also the wins is .7 for home games and 1.3 on the road so Iowa really went 1.3-1.4 against Texas Tech.

As I said yesterday, they basically can't lose again until B10 play starts on March 31st............and they got game 1.

 

[ssckelley]

As I said yesterday, they basically can't lose again until B10 play starts on March 31st............and they got game 1.

Which won’t happen, last year St Thomas gave us a scare with the Hawks needing a 4 run 7th inning rally to beat them 6-5. There are 8 games remaining against D1 (and Grandview) opponents before the Big Ten starts.

 

[hawkjt]

Thanks for the updates...go Hawks!

 

[AuroraHawk]

Which won’t happen, last year St Thomas gave us a scare with the Hawks needing a 4 run 7th inning rally to beat them 6-5. There are 8 games remaining against D1 (and Grandview) opponents before the Big Ten starts.

Let me play Devil's Advocate . . .

First, outside of a couple of consistent hitters, last year's offense struggled. When I look up and down this year's lineup, I am far more optimistic about this team's ability to generate rallies and runs. Thus, I think that it will be much harder for a mid-week RPI killer like St. Thomas (RPI 290) to pull off a win.
Second, this year's pitching staff is far deeper than last year's staff. It is going to be very difficult for teams that don't have loaded lineups like Texas Tech to hang big numbers on the board.
Third, Western Michigan and South Dakota State are just not good. Southern and South Alabama are better teams. Quinnipiac is likely a better comparison. If Iowa brings even just its "B" game for all 6 games, it should walk away as the victorious team.

Yeah, I know that baseball is the kind of game where a team with a really good pitcher can wreak havoc. Predicting sweeps is somewhat folly. That written, I like Iowa's chances to be 20-3 (17-3 in D1 games) by the time that Maryland comes to town. I certainly wouldn't bet against it.

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

Which won’t happen, last year St Thomas gave us a scare with the Hawks needing a 4 run 7th inning rally to beat them 6-5. There are 8 games remaining against D1 (and Grandview) opponents before the Big Ten starts.

Well, if they want to keep staving off the perception of "lowly B10 baseball team", they'll go ahead and not lose again until B10 play begins.........

 

[In the blood]

Will Iowa even play this weekend with temps being 42-friday(windy), 27-saturday, and 33-Sunday?

 

[AuroraHawk]

Will Iowa even play this weekend with temps being 42-friday(windy), 27-saturday, and 33-Sunday?

That's a great question. I hadn't looked ahead at the weather. That doesn't bode well. FWIW, St. Thomas lost all of its games this weekend due to weather.

 

[Randy Marsh]

With our kids being on spring break this week, we were planning on going to Fridays game. The weather looks awful and the women’s basketball game starts an hour beforehand so I’m sure parking will also be a nightmare. Should be a treat.