Hawkeyes at Bradley on Wednesday

[RobHowe]

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The University of Iowa baseball team opens a four-game road swing Wednesday, facing Bradley at Dozer Park in Peoria, Illinois. Game time is set for 7 p.m. (CT).


The Hawkeyes are 18-12 overall after winning two of three games over Rutgers last weekend at Duane Banks Field. The Braves have won five straight to improve their record to 17-10. Bradley went 3-0 last weekend, defeating Eureka (20-1) and Robert Morris-Springfield (10-0, 14-2).


Before playing Iowa on Wednesday, the Braves will play at Western Illinois on Tuesday.


Wednesday's meeting will be the second between the two schools in 15 days. The Hawkeyes rallied from a 2-0 eighth-inning deficit to win the March 26 meeting in Iowa City, 4-2. Iowa scored four runs in the eighth on a wild pitch and a three-run Bradley fielding error.


Sophomore Trenton Wallace earned the victory, allowing two hits over 4 1/3 innings. He struck out six while issuing one walk. Junior Grant Leonard got the final three outs in the ninth to record the save, but not before the Braves loaded the bases.


Wallace will be on the hill Wednesday for his third start of the season. The southpaw is 1-1 with a 6.32 ERA in six appearances, allowing 12 runs (11 earned) on 15 hits over 15 2/3 innings. Wallace has 21 strikeouts to nine walks and batters are hitting .240.


The Hawkeyes are coming off a weekend where they scored 18 runs in winning their second straight league series. Iowa hit .268 as a team with seven doubles and two home runs. Senior Tanner Wetrich hit .333 with a home run and four runs scored.


Bradley has a .289 team batting average with 77 extra base hits (50 doubles, 10 triples, 17 home runs). The Braves average six runs a game on the strength of two players hitting over .300. Infielder Luke Shadid has a team-best .388 average with five home runs and 26 RBIs.


Wednesday's game will be streamed on ESPN+ and it will also be available on the Hawkeye Radio Network with Zach Mackey on the call.


Iowa will resume its road trip this weekend, traveling to West Lafayette, Indiana, for a three-game series at Purdue.

 

[RobHowe]

Iowa Edged by Bradley


PEORIA, Ill. -- The University of Iowa baseball team used eight different pitchers on a staff day, but it wasn’t enough as the Hawkeyes fell, 3-1, to Bradley on Wednesday night at Dozer Park.


Bradley (19-10) evened the season series with Iowa (18-13) after the Hawkeyes beat the Braves, 4-2, at Duane Banks Field on March 26.


On a cold, windy night, runs were at a premium as Iowa mustered only four hits -- two off the bat of senior Chris Whelan -- while Bradley had seven base knocks. Iowa pitchers struck out nine batters, but issued six walks.


Whelan led off the game with a single up the middle, but Iowa could not get anything else going and recorded only one hit until the seventh inning. Bradley’s starter, Ben Cilano allowed only two hits in five innings of work.


Bradley used small ball to score the game’s first run in the fifth inning after a leadoff double by catcher Keaton Rice. After Iowa misplayed Kyle Antos’ bunt attempt, Rice came around to score on another bunt by nine-hole man Christian Dominguez.


In the sixth inning, Bradley scored on a fielder’s choice after the leadoff man reached. Iowa scored its only run of the game in the seventh inning.


After senior Mitchell Boe led off the seventh with a walk, sophomore Brett McCleary singled to right to put two runners on with no outs. Sophomore Izaya Fullard then bunted down the third base line and Bradley pitcher Allan Beer threw high to first base, allowing Boe to score from second.


Iowa stranded two runners in the seventh after the final three batters were retired. The Hawkeyes left just six runners on base, but four in the final two innings.


Sophomore Trenton Wallace started for the Hawkeyes. Reshirt junior Kyle Shimp received the loss.


QUOTING HEAD COACH RICK HELLER

“You have to keep your free bases to a minimum and we had too many. Two of their three runs were walks. We made some mistake defensively and had our opportunities to score, especially late. First and third, less than two outs – we didn’t execute. It cost us.”


“For the most part, the pitchers that we ran out there did a really nice job. They fought and battled. Some guys that needed to get out there and get some confidence did a good job. The plan worked well. If we would have just executed both on offense and defense, but we did not. Bradley is a good team, took advantage of it, and got we got beat.”


OF NOTE…

• It was Iowa’s first midweek game away from home this season.
• Tonight was Chris Whelan’s fifth multi-hit game of the season, including three in the last five games.

UP NEXT

Iowa has a day off before beginning a three-game series with Purdue on Friday at 5 p.m. (CT) in West Lafayette, Indiana.

 

[ssckelley]

Whelp, this loss will probably put Iowa off the bubble.

Gotta win these mid week games.

 

[Fryowa]

Whelp, this loss will probably put Iowa off the bubble.

Gotta win these mid week games.

Sweeping Nebraska and Nebraska continuing to be strong down the stretch (along with Iowa winning a bunch of games) is really the only hope outside of winning the B1G tournament.

 

[koralakers]

Hawks win 8-6. Comeback with 2 runs in 7th and 8th. Go Hawks!