The Iowa baseball team did without drama Saturday.
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The Wolverines led off with two runs in the top of the first for an early 2-0 lead, but Ohio State answered back in the bottom of the same inning with five runs on six hits and a MI error. Although with the Big Ten likely sending just one team to the “Big Dance” it will take two wins tomorrow to earn the conference’s automatic bid. “Credit them for putting pressure on us and making us make a play”.
Ohio State needed both wins today after losing to the Hawkeyes 5-4 in walk-off fashion the night before, blowing a 4-0 lead in the 9th inning. “My approach up there was just to get a pitch away and up”. On an attempted double-steal, MSU catcher Matt Byars made an errant throw to third base, allowing Tre’ Gantt to score.
Joe Mockbee relieved Landon in the bottom of the eighth and got two outs before allowing a solo homer to Maryland’s Nick Cieri that made it a one-run game. MSU tied it up at 1-1 in the fourth inning on a Dan Chmielewski RBI single up the middle with two outs. Mekkes induced a line-out double play to second baseman Durkin to end the game.
Michigan State was looking to advance to the Big Ten Championship Game with a win over Ohio State on Sunday, but a lead-off home run by Buckeyes outfielder Ronnie Dawson in the top of the 10th gave the Buckeyes a 3-2 win. It was Zimmerman’s ninth homer of the season and extended his hitting streak to 15 games.
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“Ethan was locked in”, said Boss. “We’ve relied on those guys all year”.
