By hawkeyesports.com

OWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa baseball team earned a 6-4 victory over UIC on Wednesday night at Duane Banks Field.

“I thought the team handled the close midweek game very well. We found a way to win,” said head coach Rick Heller.  “We didn’t give up a run in the final three innings, which was big. They had some good hitters and some good arms, especially early. It was a really good win.”

After UIC took a 3–0 lead in the second inning on a three-run home run, the Hawkeyes answered with a four-run fourth inning to take control of the game. Senior Mitch Wood highlighted the frame with a three-run homer to left field, while senior Kooper Schulte added an RBI single later in the inning to give Iowa the lead.

Iowa added single runs in the sixth and seventh innings, while UIC chipped away with one in the sixth but was unable to rally late. Senior Gable Mitchell drove in a run with a single in the sixth, and redshirt freshman Carter Geffre added an RBI base hit in the seventh to extend the Hawkeyes’ lead to 6–4.

Sophomore Jaron Bleeker picked up the win out of the bullpen, tossing 3 2/3 scoreless innings while allowing three hits and striking out five. Iowa’s pitching staff combined to strike out 10 UIC batters on the night.

Schulte, Geffre, and Mitchell each recorded multi-hit performances, and Iowa finished the game with 11 hits and played error-free defense to earn the midweek win.

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The Hawkeyes travel to Indiana for a Big Ten series this weekend, with Friday’s game set for 5 p.m. (CT)