Iowa baseball (17-9) used huge eighth and ninth innings to complete a series sweep of UNLV (10-20), winning both games of a double-header (6-5, 7-6) on April 1 at Banks Field.

Iowa took a 1-0 lead in the first inning in the first game, but then gave up 2 runs before tying the game at 2 in the sixth.

The Rebels stretched out 3 runs in the seventh and ninth innings, leading 5-3 heading into the bottom of the ninth.

Ben Norman flied out, and Tyler Cropley struck out swinging to put Iowa in a two-out hole. Austin Guzzo reached on a single, then scampered to third after Luke Farley singled to left field on an 0-2 count.

Facing two strikes, Mitchell Boe smacked a 2-run double down the right-field line, tying the game.

“I was looking for something I could drive,” he said. “Head-high line drives are where I live, so that’s what I tried to do, and I executed.”

With Boe on base, Chris Whelan singled to center field, giving the Hawkeyes a walk-off win in dramatic fashion.

In the second game, both teams kept it close; Iowa held a 4-3 lead going into the eighth.

The Rebels broke their two-inning scoring drought, churning out 3 runs to lead at 6-4.

Boe, the hero of the first game, came up clutch once again, this time in the eighth. Another double scored Matt Hoeg and Farley, tying the game at 6.

Mason McCoy singled, then advanced on an error. Meanwhile, Boe came in to put Iowa on top, 7-6.

The Hawkeyes’ focus now turns to South Dakota State, which will travel to Banks Field for a two-game series starting at 4:05 p.m. April 4.
— by Adam Hensley