Northwestern's baseball team dropped a single nine-inning game to Iowa, 9-6, as the Hawkeyes earned the four-game split. NU falls to 19-23 overall and 10-12 in the Big Ten.

Sophomore first baseman Jason Krynski (Niles, Ill./Niles West) got things started with a first-inning home run deep over the left field wall. Krynski's two-run blast was his sixth of the season.

Iowa answered in the bottom of the first as Wildcat starter Dan Pohlman (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) walked the leadoff hitter who stole second four pitches later. Left fielder Andy Jansen hit a fly ball to right, allowing Ian Mattiace to score from second on an errant relay throw from shortstop Jon Mikrut (Wauconda, Ill./Carmel).

The Hawkeye's tied the score in the bottom of the second at 2-2 when second baseman Chris Groth hit a bases loaded sacrifice fly to center. Iowa loaded the bases on one single and two Pohlman walks.

Iowa took a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the third when first baseman Brad Carlson and center fielder Kyle Thousand hit back-to-back solo home runs.

NU got one run back in the top of the fourth when Mikrut crushed his fourth home run of the season. Mikrut's long ball went over the left field fence.

U-of-I came right back in the bottom half of the fourth, scoring one run on Jansen's sacrifice fly to deep left field.

In the top of the fifth, center fielder David Gresky (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Ignatius) hit a two-out triple to the right field corner and scored on right fielder Brandon Ackley's (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) single through the left side.

Iowa answered the Wildcat run in the fifth as Groth hit a two-out single up the middle scoring pinch-hitter Andy Cox from second. Cox reached by free pass from Wildcat reliever James Happ (Peru, Ill./St. Bede Academy).

In the sixth, Mikrut tattooed his second home run of the game, belting a 0-1 fastball over the left field wall. It was Mikrut's fifth round-tripper of the year, making the score 7-5 Iowa.

In the seventh, third baseman Josh Lieberman (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein) greeted Hawkeye reliever Dyson Miguel with a first pitch home run just inside the left field fair pole. The solo shot was Lieberman's first collegiate home run, making the score 7-6 Iowa.

Iowa came right back in the bottom half, scoring two runs on three hits, extending their lead to 9-6.