Iowa falls to Texas A&M, faces Houston in NCAA regional elimination game Sunday

HOUSTON – Iowa has shown it can beat Houston. The Hawkeyes will have to do it again on Sunday afternoon, and more, if the Hawkeyes' season continues.

The Hawkeyes gave Texas A&M a scare late Saturday night, but came up just short, falling 3-2 to the Aggies in Game 4 of the Houston Regional. Iowa had runners on second and third when Chris Whelan popped out to first base to end the game.

'We had our shots. We didn't get the big knock to score more runs,” Iowa coach Rick Heller said.

A big knock the fourth-seeded Hawkeyes did get was a solo blast by Jake Adams, his NCAA-leading 28th of the season, that easily cleared the left-field wall at Schroeder Park. Adams' homer was the game's final run and came off Aggies starter Corbin Martin (7-3), who allowed eight hits over seven innings.

'We fought, but we couldn't get anything going after my home run,” said Adams, a second-team All-America selection, who collected two hits and turned an unassisted double play in the fifth inning.

Iowa starter Nick Gallagher (8-2) made one bad pitch that proved costly for the Hawkeyes (39-21), who defeated top-seeded Houston 6-3 on Friday. Gallagher was effective in 5 1/3 innings, allowing six hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

For the first three innings Gallagher's slider was spot-on. But in the fourth, he gave up a decisive three-run home run to Cole Bedford that proved to be difference in the game.

Saturday's tough loss to third-seeded Texas A&M, sets up a rematch with the Cougars on Sunday at 3 p.m. in an elimination game.

'They're a good team,” Adams said. 'We have to keep playing like we've been playing. I think we can get it done. Our sticks have to keep rolling.”

Iowa will start either right-hander Drake Robinson or left-hander Elijah Wood against the Cougars (41-20), the American Athletic Conference Tournament champion that pummeled Baylor 17-3 in Saturday's first game.

'Our pitching situation will be different than (Friday) night,” Heller said. 'We'll probably end up in a situation where we'll piece it together a bit and getting the bullpen guys in at the right time. Their (Houston) bats got hot today. We'll have to find a way to outscore them.”

Iowa, which out-hit the Aggies (38-21) 9-7, had its chances early against Martin. Iowa took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on Mitchell Boe's run-scoring single that scored Matt Hoeg from second base. Iowa had five base runners over the first two innings, but scored just once.

'We were fortunate Iowa didn't run away from us early,” Texas A&M coach Rob Childress said. 'We're very fortunate to win and beat a very hot team.”

Boe also had two hits for the Hawkeyes, who had six of their nine hits over the first four innings.

In the top of the ninth, Grant Judkins led off with a walk off Cason Sherrod and was replaced by pinch runner Justin Jenkins. After Hoeg sacrificed Jenkins to second, Ben Norman, who has four hits in the regional, flied out to center field.

Boe followed with a single, putting runners at the corners. Boe then stole second, placing the go-ahead run at second, with Jenkins, the tying run on third. On a 2-0 count to Whelan, Kaylor Chafin was summoned in relief. He got Whelan to pop up to first baseman Hunter Coleman to end the Iowa threat.

'It was one of those games were you felt like you were going to get that hit and it didn't happen,” Heller said.

Despite Saturday's one-run loss, Iowa is making its presence known in the Houston Regional.

'Iowa is an outstanding club,” Childress said. 'We had our hands full.”

When Martin retired the Hawkeyes in order in the sixth inning, it was the first time in 15 innings in the Houston Regional the Hawkeyes didn't have a batter reach base in an inning. Tyler Cropley grounded out to short and both Judkins and Hoeg struck out swinging. An inning later, the Hawkeyes again went down in order.