Iowa clinches spot in Big Ten baseball tournament

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Senior Tyler Peyton tossed a three-hit, complete game shutout to lead the Iowa baseball team to an 8-0 victory over Penn State to clinch a series victory and a berth in next week's 2016 Big Ten Tournament.

The top eight teams qualify for the tournament, which begins Wednesday and runs through Sunday in Omaha.

The Hawkeyes, who had won five straight games, then lost the nightcap, 5-4, in 12 innings.

Iowa (27-25, 12-12) has qualified for the Big Ten Tournament in three consecutive seasons for the first time in program history.

Daniel Aaron Moriel drove in three runs in the opener. Nos. 2-5 in the Hawkeyes' order all had two hits apiece.

Moriel's sac fly started the scoring in the fourth. Iowa then got two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh before putting the game away with four runs in the ninth.

Iowa led the nightcap 4-1 before Penn State rallied. Connor Klemann delivered the walk-off hit.