Iowa Beats Columbus in Series-Opening Slugfest

COLUMBUS, OH – The Iowa Cubs (27-37) came out on top of an offensive showdown against the Columbus Clippers (28-37) on Tuesday at Huntington Park, winning the series opener 15-7.

The game started with a 1-2-3 inning for both starters, but the offense quickly picked up on both sides from there. The Clippers scored first in the bottom of the second on a solo home run from Nolan Jones, but the I-Cubs answered with five runs in the next half inning. Andrew Romine drove in two with a single, and then Frank Schwindel - making his Iowa debut - added two more with a home run.

The scoring continued from there. Columbus picked up another run on an RBI groundout to make it a 5-2 game, but Nick Martini gave the I-Cubs some more insurance with a three-run blast in the fourth. The Clippers were far from done, however, as they clubbed three home runs in their half of the inning - including back-to-back shots from Andrés Giménez and Jordan Luplow - to bring them within two runs, at 8-6.

The game remained close for the middle innings, with both teams adding one more run on another solo home run, but Iowa reclaimed a commanding lead in the eighth. They used a Michael Hermosillo triple, two singles, three walks, and a hit batter to add five more runs, giving them a 14-7 advantage heading into the bottom half of the inning.

Jake Jewell took control for the final two frames, limiting the Clippers to just one hit, which was erased on a double play. With the I-Cubs adding one more run in the top half of the ninth, they took the series opener by a final score of 15-7.

POSTGAME NOTES:

• Iowa starter Mike Mike Hauschild completed 3.2 innings, allowing six earned runs on seven hits and two walks.
• Nick Martini extended his hitting streak to a season-high five games with a 2-for-2 night. He also walked twice, scored three times and collected three RBI.
• First baseman Frank Schwindel made his Cubs-organization debut and went 2-for-5 with a home run and four RBI.
• The Iowa Cubs tied their single-game season high with three double plays turned in tonight’s game.

Iowa and Columbus will meet again tomorrow for game two of their six-game series. First pitch between the two teams is set for 6:05 CT. For more information and tickets, visit www.iowacubs.com.