Iowa Hawkeyes hammer No. 8 Rutgers, 12-2, take series from the Scarlet Knights
Iowa ran its winning streak to seven straight after blasting Rutgers on Saturday, 12-2. With the win, the Hawkeyes secured the series over the Scarlet Knights, improved to 23-12 overall and 8-3 in Big Ten play.
Rutgers entered the week ranked No. 8 by Collegiate Baseball, No. 21 by Perfect Game, No. 26 in the USA TODAY Sports Baseball Coaches Poll and No. 28 in the NCBWA Poll. After the series with the Hawkeyes, Rutgers is set to take a tumble.
Iowa plated its first run in the first inning after a Rutgers fielding error brought Peyton Williams home. Then, in the third inning, Keaton Anthony doubled to right field to score Michael Seegers. Will Mulflur followed up that Anthony double with a single to center field to plate Williams for an early 3-0 lead. Sam Petersen brought Anthony home on a bunt single in the fifth to increase Iowa’s advantage to 4-0.
Then, in the sixth inning, the floodgates opened. First, Mulflur delivered a sacrifice fly to plate Seegers. Next, Ben Tallman drew a bases-loaded walk several batters later to plate Williams for a third time on the afternoon. Petersen then singled to left center to bring home Izaya Fullard and Anthony and Brendan Sher singled through the left side of the infield to plate Tallman. After all the damage was done, it was a five-run sixth inning for the Hawks to stake themselves to a 9-0 lead.
Iowa added another Seegers run on a wild pitch in the seventh and two more bases-loaded walks to Seegers and Williams in the eight to plate Brett McCleary and Petersen.
Meanwhile, the Hawkeyes got a tremendous start for the second straight day in the series. Connor Schultz pitched eight innings of shutout, two-hit baseball with six strikeouts and just the one walk issued.
A look at Connor Schultz's day
#Hawkeyes WIN, Iowa DOMINATES to take the series! Schultz goes 8.0 scoreless innings allowing just 2 hits… 6 Hawkeyes record multi-hit games! pic.twitter.com/pQ2cBhqavN
— Iowa Baseball (@UIBaseball) April 23, 2022
Eight innings pitched, six strikeouts, two hits and one walk on 85 pitches.
Schultz moved his win-loss mark to 2-0 with the win.
His previous best outing of the season was a five-inning start at Texas A&M Corpus Christi.
Quoting Schultz
RECAP | REACTION#Hawkeyes Rout No. 8 Rutgers to Clinch Series Win
"I think I did pretty well with my 85 pitches.” @conschultz7 😎😎
LINK: https://t.co/NdYDOlvuoa pic.twitter.com/5nTDCTwzzx
— Iowa Baseball (@UIBaseball) April 23, 2022
“This shows who we are. Today and yesterday, this is the team we are. Going out today and showing it against a team like this is huge. It shows people how good we are,” Schultz said.
A big knock from Petersen
T6 | @Petersen11Sam does it again!
He drives in 2 with a 1B to left field. #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/oy8Ip7VDl5
— Iowa Baseball (@UIBaseball) April 23, 2022
Quoting coach Rick Heller
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
“I am happy our guys have gone out and played to their capabilities. All year we’ve been dealing with this and that. We came out here and knew we were in for a big challenge against a good team that was in an awesome place and playing well. Our guys embraced it and to this point that have put a chip on their shoulder and that’s a good thing. It’s a good thing to see the fight,” Heller said.
Sunday look-ahead
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen
Iowa starting pitcher: RHP Ty Langenberg (4-0, 3.05 ERA)
Rutgers starting pitcher: LHP Justin Sinibaldi (1-0, 4.33 ERA)
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