By Adam Hensley
Before the first game of Iowa’s weekend series (April 28-29 at Banks Field), the prospects of the Hawkeyes (27-15) playing all three games against Penn State (14-29) seemed slim because of rain (and more rain), winds, and cold temperatures.
Somehow, Iowa managed to squeeze in all three games — all wins — in the Hawkeyes’ first conference sweep since 2015. Iowa took each contest, 4-2, 8-2, and 9-1.
Iowa’s first two victories came on April 28 in a double-header (the first game starting at 6:50 p.m., the second at 10:30 p.m.), while the final game on April 29 was moved back to 7:05 p.m.
Starting pitching fueled Iowa’s first two wins. Nick Gallagher and Ryan Erickson combined to pitch 15.1 of April 28’s 18 innings.
“It’s huge,” Gallagher said. “Our bullpen is shorthanded right now. You never really know what’s going to happen, especially with this weather.”
Gallagher recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts while only allowing 2 runs on 3 hits.
Erickson pitched a career-high 7.1 innings, while only giving up 1 run on 2 hits. He also recorded 5 strikeouts.
Erickson’s start came at 10:30 p.m., and the game didn’t wrap up until 1:30 a.m.
“It obviously wasn’t the most ideal conditions for either team,” he said. “We really stepped up. We needed this.”
Iowa relied on a three-headed pitching attack in the third game; Elijah Wood, Drake Robison, and Zach Daniels scattered 11 hits throughout the course of the game.
For most of the night on April 29, Iowa couldn’t capitalize with runners in scoring position.
Penn State got on the board first in the top of the fifth, but through four, both teams combined for 10 hits in a scoreless battle.
Iowa trailed 1-0 heading into the seventh inning.
Jake Adams, the Big Ten’s leader in home runs, crushed his 16th of the season — a 440-foot bomb to left field — to tie the game.
Adams struggled in the previous two contests against the Nittany Lions, going 1-for-9 at the plate, before giving Iowa the momentum-builder it needed late.
“Everybody has slumps here and there,” Adams said. “You got to keep your composure when you’re up to bat. That home run just took a lot of pressure off.”
Adams’ dinger ignited a furious comeback. The Hawkeyes followed up his score with 8 more runs.
Soon after Adams’ home run, Iowa loaded the bases.
Matt Hoeg stepped up to the plate and connected on a 3-run single and advanced to second after a fielding error by a Penn State infielder to cap off a 4-run inning.
“Earlier in the game, I had two situations where I had chances to get RBIs, and I didn’t come up with any,” Hoeg said. “I was always told the game comes back around to you.”
The Hawkeyes held the Nittany Lions scoreless in the eighth, then followed up their 4 runs with 5 more.
Tyler Cropley brought in the final runs with a 2-run homer, creating an unmanageable deficit for Penn State.
Now on a three-game winning streak, Iowa heads out on the road for all four contests this week.
The Hawkeyes will face off against Western Illinois on Tuesday in Macomb, Illinois, at 4 p.m., then travel to East Lansing, Michigan, to clash with Michigan State for a three-game series starting Friday.