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Iowa storm past Michigan State 10-0 to claim the series

On3 imageby:Kyle Huesmann•about 11 hours•

HuesmannKyle

Iowa infielder Gable Mitchell scores a run against Michigan State. (Photo by Dennis Scheidt)
Iowa infielder Gable Mitchell scores a run against Michigan State. (Photo by Dennis Scheidt)

It was a lot of offense early and often for Iowa Baseball on Saturday afternoon and they rode those early runs to a 10-0, run rule win over Michigan State in seven innings to secure a series win.

“It was a get it done day,” said head coach Rick Heller. “We talked about pride, taking care of our home field and finding a way to get it done. It was an it takes what it takes, and let’s get it done and come out and get after it right away.”

The Iowa offense exploded for ten runs on ten hits over the first two innings of the game to open up a 10-0 lead that buried the Spartans before the game really got going. Gable Mitchell, Jackson Beaman and Ben Swails each tallied a pair of hits, while Miles Risley led the way with four RBI’s.

With the win, the Hawkeyes improve to 10-8 overall and 4-2 in Big Ten play. After a midweek game against UIC on Tuesday, the Ohio State Buckeyes will come to town for a three-game series over the weekend.

Players of the Game

  • OF Miles Risley: Risley’s three-run triple broke the game open in the second inning, while he recorded an RBI in the first inning. He also made a highlight reel play robbing Sam Busch of a home run in the third.
  • RHP Reece Beuter: After getting roughed up against Rutgers, Beuter bounced back, holding MSU scoreless over 5.0 innings, including eight strikeouts. He threw 57 of his 93 (61.3%) pitches for strikes.

Hawkeye offense puts the Spartans in an early hole

After playing 20 innings on Friday to complete the doubleheader, both teams, sporting similar starting lineups, had to dig deep after a long day to open the series. The Iowa coaching staff felt like if they could jump on MSU starter Aidan Donovan and put up an early crooked number, they could have the Spartans thinking about their bus ride home.

“I think we were just really prepared,” said Miles Risley. “We had a great scouting report going into it and the message was, you’ve just got to put them away early and that’s exactly what we did.”

The Hawkeyes put pressure on from the jump, with Ben Wilmes, Gable Mitchell and Reese Moore tallying three consecutive singles to load the bases with no outs. Miles Risley drove in a run with a 6-4 fielder’s choice and Jackson Beaman followed with an RBI single, but Aidan Donovan got Jaixen Frost into a 1-2 count, threatening to hold Iowa to just two runs. Frost slapped a two-run double to right field, putting the Hawkeyes in front 4-0 after one inning. A crucial knock that put MSU in an even deeper early hole.

A six-run second inning gives Iowa firm control of the game

As important as the four runs in the bottom of the first were, it was the second inning that put Iowa in full control. With the bases loaded and just one out, Miles Risley torched a three-run triple into left-center field, extending the Hawkeyes lead to 7-0.

“He was spinning me a lot that at-bat, so I was really trying to drive the ball the other way,” said Risley. “But he hung a slider in there, so I took advantage of it.”

Michigan State went to the bullpen bringing on Logan Pikur, but Jackson Beaman tacked on an RBI single, while Ben Swails drove in two more with a 3-2 count single. In just two innings, the Iowa offense put up ten runs on ten hits, including five hits with two strike counts.

“You couldn’t have drawn that (start) up any better,” said Heller. “The first two innings were fantastic. It was just locked in at-bat after locked in at-bat, up and down the lineup. Big hits, clutch hits.”

Miles Risley makes a #SCTop10 play to rob Sam Busch off a home run

Leading 10-0 in the top of the third inning, Michigan State needed to answer to show any signs of life, but Miles Risley wasn’t having it. After Ryan McKay earned a leadoff walk, Sam Busch took the 1-1 offering from Reece Beuter and sent it deep to right-center field. Risley tracked it to the wall and made a leaping grab to rob Busch of a home run. Had it left the park, MSU would have cut the Iowa lead to 10-2 with nobody out in the third inning.

“I had a play kind of similar to that yesterday and I didn’t find the wall on that play, so today, I was like, I’ve got to find the wall,” said Risley. “It was smoked. I jumped up for it and caught it.”

Reece Beuter records a season-best eight strikeouts, keeps MSU off the board

The former Dallas Baptist transfer had been fantastic through his first three starts of the season, but got roughed up a bit at Rutgers, allowing six runs on six hits over 3.2 innings. Beuter wasn’t quite as sharp as we’ve seen, but he provided a bounce back, scoreless outing.

Over 5.0 scoreless innings, Reece allowed four hits and walked three but recorded eight strikeouts. It’s his most K’s in a game since his freshman season at Kirkwood CC. He threw 57 of his 93 (61.3%) pitches for strikes. Although it wasn’t his cleanest start, Beuter worked out of a couple of jams, including striking out Parker Picot and Randy Seymour with the bases loaded in the third inning.

“I thought it was big for Reece to come out here and (bounce back) at home and get back on track,” said Heller. “I think that bodes well for down the road and he needed to get his confidence back to where it was.”

What’s next for Rick Heller and Co?

Iowa Baseball will continue their eight-game homestand, with a midweek matchup against the Illinois-Chicago Flames on Tuesday afternoon. First pitch is set for 4:02pm CT on BTN+.

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