THE LEAD
No. 31 DBU completed the Opening Weekend sweep of Iowa with a 4-1 win on Sunday. Matt Duce provided the big hit of the game with a two-RBI single in the bottom of the eighth to give the Patriots a 3-1 advantage.
 
Sophomore reliever Eric White picked up the win for the Patriots after getting the last out of the top of the eighth inning, and Cole McDonald earned the loss for the Hawkeyes. McDonald was responsible for DBU's first run of the eighth inning. Seth Elledge got his second save of the season with a perfect ninth inning, including two strikeouts.
 
DBU threatened in the first inning after Justin Wall drew a two-out walk and starting pitcher/designated-hitter, Darick Hall, singled Wall around to third. On the next at bat, Logan Sepanek hit a long fly ball to right field to end the inning. The Patriots got on the board with two outs in the second inning when Luke Stratman tripled to deep center field and scored on an error by center fielder Joel Booker. Stratman went 2-for-3 with a stolen base in his first start as a Patriot.
 
The Patriots once again forced an Iowa starter out of the game early with the departure of starter Calvin Mathews after the fourth inning. Mathews gave up one run on four hits and walked three Patriots. Tyler Radtke pitched two scoreless innings of relief before handing over the ball to McDonald.
 
With DBU still clinging to a 1-0 lead in the sixth inning, Derek Hall exited after 5 2/3 innings of work.  On the afternoon, Hall struck out seven seven batters, while allowing just  three hits in his first start in a Patriot uniform.  Freshman MD Johnson came in for Hall with two outs in the sixth and hit pinch hitter Jimmy Frankos to load the bases.  Johnson then induced a ground ball off the bat of Booker to shortstop Camden Duzenack, getting Johnson and the Patriots out of the jam.
 
After walking the first two batters of the seventh inning, Landon Wilson entered the game for Johnson. A passed ball moved the runners around to second and third, and on the next at bat, Mason McCoy was unsuccessful on the squeeze attempt. Catcher Matt Duce made the tag on pinch runner Mitchell Boe. On the next at bat, Iowa's Nick Roscetti grounded out but knocked in Corbin Woods to tie the game.
 
After pinch hitter Trooper Reynolds drew a walk to open the eighth inning, left fielder Daniel Sweet dropped a sacrifice bunt to move Reynolds into scoring position. Iowa pitcher Luke Vandermaten intentionally walked David Martinelli and freshman Evan Sandmann singled to load the bases for DBU. Duce singled in Martinelli and pinch runner Jameson Hannah to give the Patriots a 3-1 lead. Duzenack added another insurance run with a fly out to center field.
 
COACH DAN HEEFNER – ON DARICK HALL'S OUTING
"Darick did a great job for us. He's been doing that ever since he got here. He's a competitor. We expect a lot out of him."
 
MATT DUCE – ON HIS GAME-WINNING HIT
"I was just doing exactly what Evan Sandmann did before me. Get a good pitch up in the zone and try to hit it hard. That's what he did and that's what I did. I was lucky it got through the middle."
 
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
 - Five of DBU's eight hits came with two outs.
 - DBU's pitching staff held Iowa to just 2-for-20 with runners in scoring position in the series.
 - The Patriots scored first in all three games of the series.
 
IN THE NUMBERS
3 – Patriots pitchers allowed just three earned runs over the weekend.
5 – DBU has now swept the Opening Weekend series five times in the last six years.
8 – The first eight baserunners of the game for both teams came with two outs.
 
UP NEXT FOR THE PATRIOTS
DBU heads to Houston for a one-game series against Rice on Tuesday, February 23, at 6:00 p.m.