THE LEAD
No. 31 DBU improved to 2-0 as the season as they won game two of a three-game series against Iowa, 7-3 on Saturday afternoon. In front of a crowd of 1,004 at Horner Ballpark, junior first baseman Darick Hall hit a first-inning grand slam that proved to be the difference for the Patriots offense.
 
Sophomore Dalton Higgins (1-0) picked up the win for DBU after pitching five innings and giving up three runs on five hits with two strikeouts. Nick Gallagher (0-1) suffered the loss after a short outing of 1 1/3 innings. Gallagher gave up five runs on five hits and walked three Patriots. Freshman Jordan Martinson earned the save, allowing only one hit to the Hawkeyes over the final four innings.
 
DBU didn't waste any time on offense as Camden Duzenack and Austin Listi hit back-to-back singles to open up the bottom of the first inning, followed by a walk of Justin Wall to load the bases. Hall put a 3-1 fastball over the wall in left-center to give DBU a 4-0 lead. In the second inning, C.J. Eldred came in for Gallagher after he gave up another base hit to Listi and a base-on-balls to Wall. Following a groundball by Hall that moved the runners into scoring position, Listi crossed the plate on a passed ball by catcher Daniel Aaron Moriel to extend the lead to 5-0.
 
In the third inning, Iowa's Corbin Woods trimmed the lead to 5-1 with a solo homerun to left field off Higgins. Moriel redeemed himself in the fourth inning with an RBI single that allowed Tyler Peyton to cross the plate. In the following at bat, Eric Schenk-Joblinske singled to center field and knocked in Robert Neustrom to cut the lead to 5-3. Higgins escaped the inning after two fly balls to center fielder David Martinelli.
 
After Eldred retired the first 12 Patriots he faced, Martinelli reached on a dropped third strike and advanced to second when Connor Hall was hit in the helmet on an 0-2 pitch. Freshman catcher Garrett Wolforth singled in Martinelli in the next at bat, followed by a RBI double by Duzenack to left field, bringing Hall home.
 
COACH DAN HEEFNER – ON THE SQUAD'S VICTORY
"It was really big to get the win today. They're a solid ballclub. They've pitched us really tough in both games, so for us to be able to get the first two against a good team has been huge for us."
 
JORDAN MARTINSON – ON HIS FIRST APPEARANCE
"I wasn't too nervous. I think once we were able to pad the lead a little more, I felt more and more comfortable on the mound.  The adrenaline was definitely there."
 
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
 - Martinson received help from his defense with two inning-ending double plays in the seventh and eighth innings.
 - After the 7-9 hitters excelled Friday, the top three batters highlighted Saturday's win, going 4-for-10 with an RBI and four runs.
 - DBU is off to a 2-0 start for the third straight year.
 
IN THE NUMBERS
0 – Through the first two games of the series, DBU has held Iowa hitless with two outs.
1 – Dalton Higgins' win today was the first in his collegiate career.
64 – The Patriots pitching staff registered a 64 percent strike percentage.
 
UP NEXT FOR THE PATRIOTS
DBU and Iowa play the final game of the Opening Weekend series on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Horner Ballpark. Darick Hall takes the mound for the Patriots against Calvin Matthews of the Hawkeyes.