Redshirt senior Izaya Fullard delivered a two-out, two-strike RBI single in the ninth inning that kept Iowa’s hopes alive in the Big Ten Tournament and staved off elimination as the third-seeded Hawkeyes beat Purdue, 5-4.
“I got behind 0-2 right away and that last pitch I saw him shake off and smirk a little bit. I don’t know why, but it made me think he was going to blow a fastball by me. I made sure to get on time for a fastball and I was able to put a good swing on it,” Fullard said.
Unlike Thursday when Penn State held Iowa to just a pair of hits, Iowa had eight hits on the day and scored three runs in the fifth off Purdue starter CJ Backer.
It was small ball that helped open the door for the Hawkeyes. Only one ball left the infield for Iowa in that fifth inning as the Hawkeyes scored runs on a passed ball, a safety squeeze from Michael Seegers and a wild pitch. After Purdue got one run back in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI groundout from Steve Ramirez, Iowa’s Cade Moss responded with an RBI double in the sixth to put the Hawkeyes in front, 4-2.
The Boilermakers used a three-hit bottom of the sixth inning and an Iowa fielding error to plate a pair of runs and tie things up at four runs apiece. Purdue also had a solo shot in the bottom of the second from Troy Viola.
On the mound, redshirt senior starter Dylan Nedved tossed six innings, surrendering four runs and three earned. One of the stories of the day was Iowa reliever Will Cristophersen and his 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. He had five strikeouts on the day and came away with the save.
Now, Iowa advances and will face the loser of Rutgers-Penn State Saturday morning at 9 a.m. CT.