Iowa ran its winning streak to seven straight after blasting Rutgers on Saturday, 12-2. With the win, the Hawkeyes secured the series over the Scarlet Knights, improved to 23-12 overall and 8-3 in Big Ten play.
Rutgers entered the week ranked No. 8 by Collegiate Baseball, No. 21 by Perfect Game, No. 26 in the USA TODAY Sports Baseball Coaches Poll and No. 28 in the NCBWA Poll. After the series with the Hawkeyes, Rutgers is set to take a tumble.
Iowa plated its first run in the first inning after a Rutgers fielding error brought Peyton Williams home. Then, in the third inning, Keaton Anthony doubled to right field to score Michael Seegers. Will Mulflur followed up that Anthony double with a single to center field to plate Williams for an early 3-0 lead. Sam Petersen brought Anthony home on a bunt single in the fifth to increase Iowa’s advantage to 4-0.
Then, in the sixth inning, the floodgates opened. First, Mulflur delivered a sacrifice fly to plate Seegers. Next, Ben Tallman drew a bases-loaded walk several batters later to plate Williams for a third time on the afternoon. Petersen then singled to left center to bring home Izaya Fullard and Anthony and Brendan Sher singled through the left side of the infield to plate Tallman. After all the damage was done, it was a five-run sixth inning for the Hawks to stake themselves to a 9-0 lead.
Iowa added another Seegers run on a wild pitch in the seventh and two more bases-loaded walks to Seegers and Williams in the eight to plate Brett McCleary and Petersen.
Meanwhile, the Hawkeyes got a tremendous start for the second straight day in the series. Connor Schultz pitched eight innings of shutout, two-hit baseball with six strikeouts and just the one walk issued.