As expected in a high-stakes game, Iowa’s NCAA Tournament-opening win over North Carolina wasn’t without plenty of heroes and high drama.
Redshirt junior Sam Hojnar got the scoring started for the Iowa Hawkeyes with a two-RBI double in the first, but some insurance runs in the eighth helped push the Hawks over the top.
Before that, Iowa got a terrific start from sophomore right-handed pitcher Marcus Morgan. The 6-foot-2, 200 pound righty gave Iowa five innings of one-run ball to get its tourney stay started.
Then, after a great relief appearance from sophomore right-hander Jack Whitlock, the Hawkeyes turned to redshirt junior righty Luke Llewellyn in a tense moment in the ninth.
Usually reliable redshirt junior right-hander Will Christophersen struggled. He surrendered a two-run blast in the ninth to bring the score back within 5-3 and then exited with a pair of Tar Heels aboard and just one away.
After allowing a double that pulled UNC back within one run, Llewellyn locked the win down with back-to-back strikeouts of Tomas Frick and Hunter Stokely.
It made for a thrilling win in Iowa’s return to the postseason for the first time in six years. The Hawkeyes play host Indiana State in the winner’s bracket game tonight at 5 p.m. CT.
Morgan and Llewellyn caught up with the media afterwards and shared their thoughts on the win. Here’s the postgame session courtesy of Hawk Central and their full remarks below.
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