Lang
5/20/22
Redshirt sophomore Kyle Huckstorf had a Big Ten record 12 RBIs and tied a league record with six hits to lead the University of Iowa baseball team to a 30-16 rout of Indiana on Thursday night in the series-opener at Duane Banks Field.
The win was the Hawkeyes’ 31st of the season, improving the team’s record to 31-17 overall, 15-7 in league play.
The game was about as bizarre as they come as Indiana led 13-2 through three innings after chasing Iowa ace Adam Mazur from the start after just two innings. The Hoosiers belted three home runs in the first two innings before a third-inning grand slam gave Indiana the 11-run lead.
Iowa began its comeback in the fourth, an inning where it sent 15 batters to the plate. Iowa hit three home runs in the inning — a three-run shot from Huckstorf that made it 13-5, a two-run blast from Keaton Anthony that cut the deficit to 13-7 and another three-run bomb from Huckstorf (over the batter’s eye in centerfield) that cut the deficit to 13-12. Sam Hojnar and Petersen also had RBIs in the inning.
After Indiana got one run back in the top of the fifth, Huckstorf was at it again, connecting on a grand slam, giving him three homers and 10 RBIs in a two-inning span. More importantly, it gave the Hawkeyes the 16-12 lead.
Iowa’s offense was exceptional, scoring 30 runs – the program’s most in a Big Ten game all-time – on 23 hits. Ten different Hawkeyes had at least one hit and eight had at least one RBI.
Redshirt junior Duncan Davitt stepped up for the Iowa pitching staff. The right-hander pitched the final 4 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on four hits and fanning four to earn his fourth victory.
OF NOTE…
– The 30 runs are the second-most scored in a single game in program history (32 vs. Quincy, 1989).
– The 30 runs are the most in a Big Ten game in school history, besting the 22 runs against Wisconsin in 1989.
– The 46 combined runs are the most in a game in program history (43, L, 28-15 vs. Murray State, 1986).
– Iowa’s 23 hits are the most for the program since 2009 (25 hits vs. Tennessee-Martin, W, 25-6)
– Kyle Huckstorf set an Iowa single-game hits record, finishing 6-for-7 with three home runs and 12 RBIs.
– He is the first Big Ten player since 2010 to have six hits in a game (all games) and is the seventh player all-time (first since 2010) to have six hits in a Big Ten game.
– Huckstorf’s 12 RBIs set a Big Ten record and Iowa program record. (The NCAA record is 16.)
– Huckstorf is the third Hawkeye since 2007 to hit three home runs in a game (Jake Adams at Kansas State, 2017; Jason White vs. Illinois, 2007).
– Iowa’s five home runs are the most since 2018 when it hit seven against Missouri.
– Sophomore Michael Seegers had five walks, breaking the single-game record.
UP NEXT
Game two of the series will begin at 6:05 p.m. (CT) Friday night at Duane Banks Field with fireworks after the game. Saturday is Senior Night, with first pitch set for 8:05pm. The game can be seen on ESPNU.
