By Pete Ruden
Mitchell Boe isn’t necessarily known for his prowess at the plate. The Hawkeye sophomore is more known for his defensive play at second base, where he is swift and pretty much flawless.
But when he committed two rare errors in Iowa’s March 31 win over UNLV, he needed the chance to redeem himself.
That opportunity came the next day in the first game of a double-header when Iowa was down 2 runs in the bottom of the ninth.
With two outs and no one on base, things looked bleak for the Hawkeyes. But then Austin Guzzo got walked, giving the Iowa the tiniest glimmer of hope. Then Luke Farley singled to left, advancing Guzzo to third. Iowa actually had a chance.
That sent Boe to the plate in a do-or-die moment with the game hanging in the balance.
With a 1-2 count, Boe blasted a ball down the right field line for an incredible double that scored both Guzzo and pinch runner Corbin Woods from first to tie the game at 5.
“[Head coach Rick Heller] was just saying ‘make it be a strike,’ ” Boe said. “I was looking for something I could drive. Head-high line drives is where I live, so that’s what I tried to do and executed.”
The very next at bat, left fielder Chris Whelan singled to center, allowing Boe to cross the plate and give the Hawkeyes a win in walk-off fashion.
Whelan credited Boe, as well as the bullpen, for stepping up late in the game and playing well. He said that they embodied the fight of the team in those late innings.
“Mitch Boe stepping up out of the nine hole, that was great to see, because he’s been hitting balls hard all year, but it was nice to some fall today,” Whelan said. “We’re a very versatile team, and we just don’t give up.”
But Boe’s day didn’t end there. There was still Game 2 of the double-header, meaning Boe had a chance to extend his career day. That’s exactly what he did.
UNLV had a 2-run lead in the eighth inning, threatening to take the sweep away from Iowa. However, when Farley singled to start the inning again, things were looking awfully familiar.
Soon after, Matt Hoeg doubled to right center, putting two runners on and bringing Boe to the plate yet again.
What only seemed familiar turned out to be déjà vu, as Boe continued his tremendous day, lacing a ball down the right field line for his second game-tying 2-run double of the day.
Just as before, Boe scored the winning run to put the Hawkeyes ahead for good.
The Naperville, Illinois, native was just batting right around the .200 mark before April 1, but after compiling 4 hits and 5 RBIs in the two-game span, that average has gone up steeply.
Now, he’s going to keep doing what got him to this point.
“I’ve been hitting the ball hard all year, so it’s nice to see some of them fall,” Boe said. “I’m just going to keep doing what I do best.”
After a day that was filled with two comeback wins, his career day earned the approval of his head coach.
“Mitch had a really nice day,” Heller said. “He came up with some big-time clutch hits and made some great plays defensively. It was really good to see.”
