The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Iowa
Iowa Uses Early Barrage to Down Akron Baseball
March 02 | Baseball
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The Iowa Hawkeyes scored 10 runs in the first three innings and would go on to beat The University of Akron baseball team 17-3 at Hand Park on the campus of Austin Peay Friday afternoon.
UA starter Andrew Brown (0-3) was handed the loss after giving up eight earned runs on nine hits in 3.0 innings. Senior Scott Foster shut down Iowa with 4.0 innings of no-hit relief in the middle of the game.
Sam Watkins, Samuel Trecaso, Kurt Gamby and Joey Havrilak all recorded a pair of hits for Akron (0-7). Gamby and Trecaso each drove in a run, as did sophomore Tyler Begun, who hit his first career home run.
Chett Zeise hit two home runs and drove in four to lead Iowa. Ryan Rumpf drove in three and Jarred Hippon tossed 8.0 innings and allowed three runs to pick up the win on the mound for the Hawkeyes (2-5).
"We still need to execute much better on the mound," UA coach Rick Rembielak said. "At the plate, our hitters didn't stay with their approach against Iowa's starter."
The Hawkeyes plated five runs in the first two innings, capitalizing on three walks by Brown and two Akron errors. Iowa struck for three straight run-scoring, extra-base hits in the first – a triple by Rumpf in between doubles by Zeise and Taylor Zeutenhorst – before Brown stranded runners at the corners by picking off Jake Mangler at first. UI then got two in the second on Rumpf's bases loaded single up the middle. Brown punched out Sean Flanagan with the bases loaded to end the inning and limit the damage.
The Zips scored two of their own in the bottom of the first. Trecaso plated the first Akron run with an RBI groundout that scored Begun. Begun had walked with one out and moved to third on a Watkins single. Watkins then scored on Kurt Gamby's double to the gap in left center.
UI opened the game up with a five-run third. The Hawkeyes collected four hits in the inning and took advantage of an error by UA shortstop Matt Rembielak to plate one of the runs unearned. Zeise capped the rally with a two-run homer to center.
"We certainly do not like to see the amount errors in the field we had today," Rembielak said.
Begun led off the bottom of the third with his first career homer, taking Hippon deep to right.
Foster pitched well to keep the Hawkeyes from extending the lead in the middle four frames. The senior southpaw struck out four in his outing and allowed just two base runners. The showing moved Foster into a tie for sixth on the UA career pitching appearances list with 61.
The Hawkeyes would add seven runs in the eighth and ninth to provide the final margin.
"We did not have a good performance in any phase of the game today," Rembielak commented. "We will continue to learn to play better."
The Zips are back in action at Hand Park tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. EST, taking on local rival Youngstown State.
