Iowa Clinches Series Against MSU

Hawkeyes Capture Important 8-6 Victory Saturday

IOWA CITY, Iowa - Sam Petersen says Iowa has a “1-through-9” lineup.

The Hawkeyes needed everything they could get out of every spot on Saturday against Michigan State.

Iowa scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and held on for an 8-6 win over the Spartans, clinching a crucial Big Ten series win heading into Sunday’s final game of the three-game set.

The Hawkeyes (36-12 overall, 12-7 Big Ten) had an answer every time the Spartans (29-18, 10-10) made a statement.

Petersen’s single on a 3-2 pitch with two outs in the eighth scored Cade Moss, the No. 9 hitter in the lineup who got the inning going with a one-out single, with the go-ahead run. Brennen Dorighi, who has driven in 20 runs in his last 10 games, followed with a two-run homer.

The Hawkeyes have averaged almost 12 runs in their last four wins, but coach Rick Heller figured the Spartans would test his team, and he wanted that.

“We needed to find a way to win a game like that against a really good team,” Heller said. “A lot of the wins here in the last few weeks, we’ve scored a ton of runs. But we haven’t won one like that in a long time, where we’ve had to make pitches where every pitch mattered late in the game, and you had to score a couple of runs late to get the win. It was really good to see.”

Moss had the Spartans scrambling once he got on base in the eighth. He stole second, and when catcher Bryan Broecker’s throw sailed into center field, Moss raced to third.

Ben Wilmes struck out for the second out, then Petersen faced a 3-2 count against Michigan State reliever Andrew Carson. Petersen, expecting the slider that he got, drove a single into left field to score Moss.

“I did a bad job expanding (the strike zone),” Petersen said. “When it was 3-2, I knew if it was going to be in the zone, it was going to be a slider. I was sitting on it, and he hung it in the zone at least.”

“That’s why we’re where we’re at,” Heller said. “The balance is just awesome. We don’t have to rely on a couple of guys to get it done. Cade, in the 9 hole, gets that inning started.”

Dorighi then hit his home run through the wind into right-center field, his second homer of the game.

Dorighi lamented his two fly balls to center field in Friday’s game, pitches he thought he should have hit out but instead died on the warning track.

“I think yesterday I had some close ones,” he said. “It was kind of a mental exercise yesterday after the game, trying to stay positive.

“I didn’t miss them today.”

Dorighi, hitting .352 in the third spot in the lineup, leads the Hawkeyes with 12 home runs and 55 runs batted in.

“It’s better than what I expected,” Heller said. “He’s a really good hitter. To me, he’s a guy who can play professional baseball for a long time. He gives you a really good at-bat. Doesn’t chase a lot. Hits good pitches, hits velocity, can go both directions. He’s just a pro hitter.”

Iowa’s production came from all parts of the lineup. Wilmes had two hits and scored two runs in the lead-off spot. Sam Hojnar had two doubles while batting sixth. Every starter got on base at least once.

“The balance is just awesome,” Heller said. “You don’t have to rely on a couple guys to get it done. Cade in the nine hole gets that inning started. The top picked us up today after they didn’t do a lot last night, the middle part of the lineup really got it done last night. Dorighi obviously had a big game with the two home runs. Wilmes had a really good game today both offensively and defensively.”

None of Iowa’s pitchers were completely effective. Starter Ty Langenberg and relievers Aaron Savary, Will Christophersen and Luke Llewellyn all gave up runs.

Christophersen (3-1) was the winning pitcher. Llewellyn got his third save.

The series concludes with Sunday’s 1 p.m. game.