In a single-game midweek matchup vs. Bradley (3-20, 0-6 Missouri Valley), Iowa baseball (17-9, 10-2 Big Ten) defeated the Braves through a 13-3 run-rule decision in seven innings on Tuesday night from Dozer Park in Peoria, Ill.

Freshman Jaron Bleeker (2-0, 5.68 ERA) started on the mound for the second time in his career and was credited with the win. He gave up one run, walked a batter, and struck out a batter in his lone inning of work.

Six other pitchers saw the mound for Iowa, each throwing an inning. The pitching staff combined for 12 strikeouts and seven walks and didn’t give up a run after the fourth inning. The Hawkeyes also held the Braves to three hits.

“On the mound we were definitely better than we were last Tuesday, which was a good sign,” said head coach Rick Heller. “A few too many free bases, but it wasn’t a great night to play. To get out of here with a 10-run rule win — we’ll take it.”

In terms of the Hawkeyes’ offense, Iowa mustered a total of eight hits and earned walks on 14 occasions.

“It was a strange game tonight, really,” said Heller. “We were able to take advantage of a lot of Bradley free bases.” 

The Hawkeyes plated five in the first off seven walks and an error. They didn’t score again until the fifth frame when junior Gable Mitchell hit a 2 RBI single and transfer Miles Risley slapped a 2 RBI double.

“In the fifth, we broke through with some clutch hits,” said Heller. “Gable Mitchell had a big two-out hit that gave us some breathing room, and Risley followed two batters later.”

Iowa scored its final three runs in the seventh inning when grad transfer Daniel Rogers hit an RBI triple and junior Kooper Schulte smacked a two-run home run.

Risley was the lone Hawkeye with a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases. Freshman Jaixen Frost walked in two runs and scored twice. Junior Caleb Wulf and redshirt sophomore Reese Moore each scored two runs. Senior Ben Wilmes also recorded an RBI walk.

Up next for Iowa will be a three-game Big Ten series vs. Northwestern (13-13, 5-4) from Rocky and Berenice Miller Park in Evanston, Ill., with Game 1 scheduled for Friday at 3 p.m. CT. The entire series can be seen on Big Ten Plus (Subscription required) and heard on the Hawkeyes Radio Network alongside play-by-play voice John Leo and color analyst John Evans.

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