By Pete Ruden
It was going to happen at some point.
Going up against 13-25 Milwaukee, there was a high probability that Iowa (24-15) was going to win. On paper, the Hawkeyes had every reason to pull it off.
That moment came in a 3-3 game in the bottom of the ninth inning when Mason McCoy came to the plate.
After a slow offensive performance in which Iowa mustered up just 5 hits in the first eight innings, it loaded the bases to prepare McCoy for another clutch moment that he took advantage of.
“He’s one of our best players and he’s been there a lot of times before,” head coach Rick Heller said. “I knew he wasn’t going to be nervous or anything like that, so I did expect him for sure to get the run in.”
It was a win, but it was also a game that could help the Hawkeyes grow and figure out what they need to do to increase production.
After a series loss to Rutgers, it was important for the Hawkeyes to get back to its winning ways. They needed consistency, and they’re hoping this will point them in the right direction.
“It’ll help a lot,” McCoy said. “This was one of those games where it kind of tested us. Milwaukee’s been struggling a little bit, too, so it really tested our mindset … I think it’ll help us in the long run definitely.”
Pitching will play a big role in the critical series against Penn State this upcoming weekend, starting on Friday. Iowa needs to rattle off some wins against Big Ten foes to stay in contention for the conference tournament.
The pitching against Rutgers in Sunday’s game was shaky, and it looked like it might be more of the same in the early innings.
But after allowing 2 runs in the first two innings, the Hawkeye pitching staff allowed just 1 more, while Drake Robison closed out the game with two hitless innings to go along with 4 strikeouts en route to earning the win.
“After Sunday, I had to take a look in the mirror and really see what I wanted to be as a pitcher, so I came out with a lot more confidence and a lot better attitude today,” Robison said.
No matter what the final score was at the end, the game was concerning.
It isn’t a good sign when a team loses the final two games of a series against an opponent that sits lower in the conference.
It also isn’t a good sign when the team has such a tightly contested game against a team that has been swept by Northern Kentucky, Wright State, and Illinois-Chicago.
However, there is still a bright side. A win is a win, no matter who it’s against.
While it might have experienced turbulence early on, the pitching staff battled back with an impressive performance in a much-needed win.
In addition to the pitching taking a big step, the offense clinched the game when it mattered most — the game’s final inning.
“We’ve been on a little bit of a skid these last five games, pitching and offensively,” McCoy said. “It was good to grind one out and give us a little confidence back.”