April 20, 2003
IOWA CITY, Iowa - The Purdue baseball team could not make a 3-0 lead hold up as Iowa battled back to defeat the Boilermakers in the first game of a Sundy doubleheader, 5-4. The loss dropped Purdue to 7-7 in Big Ten play and 20-15 overall, while the Hawkeyes get their third conference win of the year to move to 3-11 and 10-18.
The Boilermakers jumped on Iowa starter Ryan Mentkowski immediately, scoring three runs on five hits in the first inning. With one out, Purdue linked together five consecutive singles started by Nick McIntyre and Daniel Underwood. Simon Klink and Ben Firtz knocked RBI basehits, Fritz' on a grounder to second that hopped up and into the jersey of second baseman Andy Lytle. A bases loaded walk to Brad Kriner forced home the third run of the inning for the Old Gold and Black.
After three scoreless innings, Iowa grabbed the lead in the bottom of the fifth with four runs, chasing Purdue starter Chris Toneguzzi from the mound. A walk, single and hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for the Hawkeyes and brought Jason Driscoll in from the Purdue bullpen. A base-clearing double by Jeff Gremley to right-center tied the score at 3-3, Gremley moving to third on the throw home. On the next pitch, Nate Yoho flied out to left to score Gremley with the lead run for Iowa.
Purdue came right back in the top of the sixth frame on an RBI single off the bat of Tyler Johnstone. The single to right-center followed a basehit by John Hunter, a stolen base by pinch runner Andy Rempel and a four-pitch walk to John Manuel.
With the score tied 4-4 entering the bottom of the seventh, a ball popped into shallow right was dropped by Ryan Dallas, giving Iowa a runner at first. A sacrifice moved the runner to second and a two-out single by Gremley plated the winning run for the Hawkeyes.
Jason Driscoll was hit with loss in relief for the Boilermakers, pitching 2.1 innings and allowing two runs, one earned. Nathan Johnson picked up the win in a relief effort for Iowa, hurling two innings of scoreless ball.
Simon Klink, Nick McIntyre and John Hunter led the way for the Boilermakers with two hits each. For Iowa, Jeff Gremley drove in four runs on two hits.
The Boilermakers and Hawkeyes will meet for game two of the Easter twinbill beginning at approximately 3:45 p.m.