Iowa baseball evened an important series at Banks Field on May 5, beating No. 12 Oklahoma State, 16-14, to tie the series at one game.

After trailing 12-9 heading into the seventh, the Hawkeyes rattled off 4 runs, including a 3-run double from Matt Hoeg to take the lead for good.

“I couldn’t be prouder of our team and the effort they gave today,” Iowa head coach Rick Heller said. “Our backs were against the wall — lose a tough game [May 4] and fall behind early. Just kept fighting back, just kept answering back and not letting what has happened in the past affect the next pitch.”

Both squads scored 3 runs on 3 hits in the first inning, with shaky beginnings for both starting pitchers. After Oklahoma State scored 2 and Iowa plated 3 in the third, things unraveled for the Hawkeyes in the fourth.

Right-hander Derek Lieurance replaced Brady Schanuel, after the latter gave up an RBI single to right.

In the first at-bat after the pitching change, first baseman Matt Hoeg and second baseman Mitchell Boe both went to field a ball, leaving no one covering first. Lieurance attempted to cover, but the throw was high, leaving the pitcher in the air as two Cowboys scored.

Shortly after, Oklahoma State third baseman Michael Neustifter lifted a bomb over the left field fence, clearing the bases with a 3-run shot.

The Hawkeyes countered with a 2-run double by Hoeg in the bottom of the fourth and a Kyle Crowl run on a wild pitch in the fifth.

Iowa then dabbled in some seventh inning magic; Robert Neustrom singled through the left side to make it a 2-run game, and Hoeg gave the Hawkeyes their first lead since the third inning.

Neustrom sealed the win with a 3-run homer in the eighth, despite Matt Kroon and Jon Littell going yard in the ninth.

The Iowa pitching staff struggled as a whole early. Schanuel gave up 9 earned runs on 6 hits in 3.2 innings, while Lieurance and Cam Baumann combined to surrender 3 runs.

But Ben Probst, Nick Nelsen, and Zach Daniels entered to pitch three innings and close the door on the Cowboys.

Hoeg and Neustrom were the two biggest playmakers, and they led their squad at the dish. Hoeg went 2-for-4 with 2 doubles, and 6 RBIs, and Neustrom finished 3-for-5 with a home run and plated 5 runs

The rubber match will take place at 11:35 p.m. May 6 at Banks Field.