By Adam Hensley
After sweeping a Big Ten opponent in a three-game series for the first time since 2015, Iowa (27-16) dropped its second mid-week game in the past three weeks, losing to Western Illinois (17-23), 7-5.
“This one is on all of us. It’s our job to get ready to play, and we failed at that,” Iowa’s head coach Rick Heller said in a release. “We weren’t ready to play or ready to pitch. It was as bad of an outing as we’ve had in a game this season.”
The Leathernecks jumped out to a 2-run lead in the first inning and built a 3-0 advantage before the third inning.
Iowa answered, scoring 2 runs of its own in the top of the third.
Mitchell Boe and Ben Norman hit back-to-back singles to start the inning. A wild pitch allowed both runners to advance to third and second. Mason McCoy singled through the left side, driving in Boe for Iowa’s first run of the game.
Jake Adams and Robert Neustrom each struck out, but Tyler Cropley’s single drove in Norman for the final run of the third.
Western Illinois, however, drove in 3 more runs in the bottom of the inning.
Drake Robison struck out the first batter, walked the second, but recorded out No. 2 after a fly ball to right-center.
With only one out to go, Robison gave up a single, walked a batter to load the bases, and then allowed a 2-run single.
Shane Ritter finished the inning but gave up Western Illinois’ 6th run.
Both teams went through two scoreless innings before Iowa scored on a wild pitch. Corbin Woods, pinch running for Cropley after his double, scored.
Western Illinois scored again, but Iowa answered with another run in the seventh and another in the eighth.
Adams singled up the middle to score Norman, and the second run came on Grant Judkins’ home run with one out in the eighth.
Against Penn State on April 29, Iowa faced a 1-0 hole heading into the seventh inning. The Hawkeyes scored 9 runs in the seventh and eighth innings.
This game did not follow in a similar fashion.
A 7-5 game was as far as Iowa’s rally would get, and the Hawkeyes fell to 0-2 in road nonconference games (their first loss came on April 19, a 6-4 loss against Bradley in Peoria, Illinois).
Hawkeye pitching gave up free free passes.
“The free bases killed us,” Heller said in a release. “We were fortunate to be in the game with as poorly as we pitched the first three innings. We didn’t swing it all that well, either.”
The Hawkeyes recorded 11 hits but could not capitalize when attempting to drive in runs.
Cole McDonald took the loss,, dropping him to 2-4 on the season. He lasted 0.2 innings, allowing 2 runs and 2 walks.
One of the few positive takeaways from the game was pitcher Kyle Shimp, who played for the first time in a while after coming down with mono.
“He did a nice job,” Heller said in a release. “It will be good to get Kyle back for the stretch run in the conference.”
Iowa’s next matchup will be Friday, when the Hawkeyes play the first game of a three-game series with Michigan State in East Lansing.
