By Pete Ruden
Rain proved to be an issue for Hawkeye baseball once again this season.
After a 50-minute delay because of the weather, Iowa (26-15) finally met Penn State (14-28) on the field in an error-ridden first game in which the Hawkeyes got the best of their opponents, winning 4-2 in Game 1 and 8-2 in Game 2 on April 28 at Banks Field.
While the teams combined for 5 errors in the first game that led to some runs, pitcher Nick Gallagher’s performance overshadowed the mistakes.
The Iowa City native tossed a gem, going 8 innings and recording a career-high 10 strikeouts while allowing only 2 hits and 1 earned run.
“Not ideal conditions to pitch, and [Gallagher] had good command of all of his pitches tonight,” head coach Rick Heller said. “[He] battled like a Friday night guy should do, and I was really proud of his effort.”
In addition to Gallagher’s incredible night, Mason McCoy, Matt Hoeg, and Austin Guzzo powered the offense, all knocking runs in.
Josh Martsching replaced Gallagher in the ninth to record a save and preserve the much-needed conference win.
In the second game, things didn’t slow down, and Iowa literally didn’t get tired. The Hawkeyes scored 4 quick runs in the second inning, while adding 2 more in the fourth to essentially put the game away before the game’s conclusion, around 1:20 a.m.
In the end, the Hawkeyes picked up the victory and a series win.
Mitchell Boe had himself a game, notching 3 RBIs with a 2-run double and an RBI triple.
Hoeg and Guzzo each plated a run as well, putting their fingerprints on both wins, while right fielder Robert Neustrom notched his 41st RBI of the season.
Grant Judkins reached a milestone of his own; the freshman crushed a ball over the right-field fence for his first home run in a Hawkeye uniform.
Ryan Erickson had an exceptional performance on the mound, giving up 1 run on 3 hits in 7.1 innings, while striking out 5.
Iowa will take on Penn State in the final game of the series on April 29, scheduled for 2 p.m. at Banks Field.
