Minnesota drops the opening game. #Gophers will play a must-win game tomorrow at 1 pm. pic.twitter.com/Rrc7p2GH1g
— Minnesota Baseball (@GopherBaseball) May 26, 2016
The top seeded Minnesota Gophers baseball team dropped their first round Big Ten Tournament game to Iowa 8-2 Wednesday afternoon.
Big Ten Player of the Year Matt Fielder was on the mound, but he was hit pretty hard by the Hawkeyes. He gave up five runs on eight hits in 2.1 innings.
Much of the damage to the Gophers was done by the top of the Iowa order. Iowa first baseman Tyler Peyton and center fielder Joel Booker were able to string together big afternoons.
They combined for nine of the 18 Hawkeye hits in the game, Peyton was 4-for-6 with a double, a triple an RBI and a run scored. Booker was 5-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored.
Luke Petterson led the Gophers. He was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored.
Minnesota reliever Ty McDevitt gave the Minnesota four scoreless innings of relief, making a few nice plays in the process.
WATCH: McDevitt with his own DIY project takes care of the inning and keeps Iowa off the board in the 7th! https://t.co/MfDT8ZjJ5e
— Minnesota Baseball (@GopherBaseball) May 26, 2016
But it was too little too late for the Gophers. Minnesota will try to keep their Big Ten Tournament hopes alive Thursday in a must-win elimination game.
