Iowa didn’t await the theatrics. As a substitute, the Hawkeyes demonstrated a aptitude for the dramatic on the 2023 faculty baseball season’s Opening Day.
Iowa (1-0) received in extras as redshirt junior centerfielder Kyle Huckstorf delivered a two-out, walk-off grand slam to beat Indiana State, 6-2.
The underside of the eleventh inning began for Iowa with a single from junior shortstop Michael Seegers, however he was thrown out at second attempting to stretch it.
Redshirt sophomore third baseman Raider Tello adopted that up with a single to proper discipline and junior designated hitter Keaton Anthony was hit by pitch on an 0-2 depend. Iowa first baseman Brennen Dorighi bounced an infield single that couldn’t be performed by Indiana State’s Josue Urdaneta.
Huckstorf promptly adopted with the walk-off grand slam over the left-center fence and the Opening Day celebration was on for the Hawkeyes from CoolToday Park in Port Charlotte, Fla.
Huck Huck Hooray! 💥
🎥: @ByCodyHills #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/B8rOptJ161
— Iowa Baseball (@UIBaseball) February 17, 2023
The heroics from Huckstorf paid off some terrific reduction work for Iowa and rescued a Hawkeye offense that had gone eight straight innings with out plating a run following its pair of runs within the backside of the second.
Junior right-handed starter Ty Langenberg scattered 5 hits in 5 innings, walked a pair and struck out six whereas permitting a pair of earned runs.
Indiana State tagged Langenberg with a two-out RBI double down the fitting discipline line from designated hitter Luis Hernandez to convey residence shortstop Randal Diaz within the high of the primary. Then, Hernandez doubled and scored within the fourth inning after Urdaneta ripped his personal double to proper discipline.
Langenberg was practically in bother within the sixth inning, too. Hernandez was hit by a pitch and Urdaneta doubled down the fitting discipline line to put a pair of Sycamores in scoring place with no person out.
Iowa head baseball coach Rick Heller went to his bullpen, bringing on redshirt senior Jared Simpson to return in and slam the door shut. The lefty from Clinton, Iowa, struck out Mike Sears swinging, Adam Pottinger trying after which induced a floor out to quick from Grant Magill to work the Hawkeyes out of the jam.
From there, he pitched three extra spotless innings and allowed simply the lone hit with seven strikeouts. Indiana State had a pair of runners on towards Simpson within the seventh, however he struck out Hernandez trying on a full depend.
Redshirt junior righty Will Cristophersen added two extra innings of scoreless reduction to hold the Hawkeyes by way of extras. The 6-foot-4, 210 pound native of Bettendorf, Iowa, struck out three.
The Hawkeyes opened their scoring within the backside of the second with left fielder Sam Petersen’s one-out homer to left. Iowa plated one other within the second as second baseman Sam Hojnar plated Huckstorf with a RBI double to proper heart.
Iowa returns to motion Saturday morning at 10 a.m. versus Quinnipiac from Centennial Park.
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