After a forgettable first game of Sunday’s doubleheader, Iowa found its resolve early and then again late in the second game of the doubleheader to capture the series from the Nebraska Cornhuskers with a 5-3 extra-innings win.
With the win, Iowa has now secured three consecutive Big Ten series and four of the five conference series the Hawkeyes have played thus far.
Redshirt freshman Keaton Anthony delivered a first-inning blast to start the scoring for the Hawkeyes as Iowa’s designated hitter. Redshirt sophomore first baseman Peyton Williams added a two-run homer in the third to score himself and Kyle Huckstorf and Iowa led 3-1.
Then, after Nebraska evened the game at three runs apiece with a pair in the sixth, Iowa found the scoring it needed in extras to ensure it wouldn’t be a gloomy trip back to Iowa City.
The top of the tenth started with a pair of Hawkeye singles from sophomores Anthony Mangano and Michael Seegers. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch and then the Huskers intentionally walked Williams.
Anthony followed the Williams’ walk with a sacrifice fly to center field to give the Hawkeyes the lead back at 4-3 and then redshirt senior Izaya Fullard added an insurance run with his RBI single to score Seegers.
Sophomore right-hander Ty Langenberg delivered a solid start, tossing five innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts on 78 pitches.
Redshirt senior Dylan Nedved settled down after surrendering a pair of earned runs in his first inning of work in the sixth and added four innings in relief with three strikeouts. After Nedved allowed a leadoff single to Nebraska’s Cam Chick to start off the bottom of the 10th, Iowa head baseball coach Rick Heller went into the bullpen.
It worked to perfection. Redshirt senior Ben Beutel got Garrett Anglim to srike out swinging and then induced a game-ending double play off the bat of the Huskers’ Griffin Everitt.