Following a pitching masterpiece by Cade Obermueller in Iowa baseball’s (17-9, 10-2 Big Ten) 13-0 Game 2 shutout victory in the first half of Friday’s doubleheader vs. Minnesota (11-14, 2-7) from Siebert Field in Minneapolis, Minn., the Hawkeyes were able to take the twin-bill with a narrow 7-6 win and complete the series sweep of the Golden Gophers.
Redshirt senior Reece Beuter (4-0, 3.67 ERA) got the nod on the mound, where he pitched 3 2/3 innings, giving up two runs on five hits while striking out three.
“Reece Beuter gave us a solid start,” head coach Rick Heller said. “He had to bump up two days from his normal start on Sundays, and he did a nice job.”
Six other Hawkeyes came out of the bullpen and gave up a combined four runs, including three in the bottom of the ninth to make it a nail-biting finish.
Fifth-year Brant Hogue (1-1, 4.22 ERA), credited with the win, pitched 1 2/3 innings and struck out three Gophers. Freshman Tyler Guerin (0-0, 1.23 ERA, 1 SV) recorded the last three outs of the game with the tying run at second base to secure his first save of his career.
Reigning B1G Player of the Week, Reese Moore led the Iowa offense, going 4-for-5 from the plate with two home runs, two doubles, and three RBIs. He now leads the team with nine home runs this season.
Graduate transfer Daniel Rogers also excelled offensively for the Hawkeyes, going 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, and three RBIs.
Rogers’ home run was notable as he demolished a two-run homer far over the right-field scoreboard, which was clocked in at 104 MPH off the bat and traveled a whopping 423 feet.
Overall, Iowa would outhit Minnesota by a slim 11-10 margin but would find a way to squeak out the victory thanks to 14 Golden Gophers left stranded on base throughout the game.
“The big story in this game was just us not throwing strikes and giving them a chance to come back,” said Heller. “You don’t like to see that, but we found a way to hold on in the end, and I could not be happier to get the sweep.”
Up next for Iowa is a midweek matchup vs. Bradley (3-18, 0-4 Missouri Valley) at 6 p.m. CT on Tuesday, April 1 from Dozer Park in Peoria, Ill. The game will not be televised but will be available on the air through the Hawkeyes Radio Network alongside play-by-play voice John Leo and color analyst John Evans.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews