April 2, 2008

Box Score

WATERLOO, Iowa -- -

The University of Northern Iowa baseball team pounded out 20 hits, 10 for extra bases, to beat Grand View 17-3 Wednesday afternoon at Riverfront Stadium. Chris Lopez was 4-of-5 in the game with three home runs, five runs scored and five RBIs.

Lopez was one of three Panthers to send the ball out of the park in the game. Deric Manrique hit his third home run of the season and Brett Featherston hit home run number five. Lopez' three-homer game was the first for the Panthers since Ryan Brunner accomplished the feat at Air Force on March 2, 2001. Manrique finished 4-of-6 from the plate with four runs scored and two RBIs. Brandon Douglas was 2-of-4 with two doubles, two runs scored and four RBIs in the contest.

Zach Zirbel (2-0) earned the win for the Panthers after giving up two hits and no runs through 5.0 innings of work. He finished the game with six strike outs.

Zirbel retired the side in order in the first, striking out two in the process.

            Manrique led off the bottom of the inning with a single through the left side. Levi Ferguson followed with a walk, and Brandon Douglas hit a double down the left line to score Manrique and Ferguson. Chris Lopez followed with a home run over the center field wall, scoring Douglas and putting UNI in front 4-0.

            Brett Douglas singled through the left side, and Eddie Almonte doubled off the center field wall to give UNI runners on second and third with one out. UNI left them stranded, however.

            Grand View earned a pair of hits in the top of the second, but Zirbel struck out three to strand the runners and keep the Panther lead at 4-0.

            Manrique hit a bloop single into shallow right to lead off the bottom of the second. Lopez hit his second home run in as many at bats, driving the ball over the center field wall to put the Panthers in the lead 6-0.

            UNI sent 11 to the plate in the bottom of the third, using four hits, three walks and a Vikings error to score six runs a build a 12-0 lead. Andy Steichen and Brandon Douglas each hit doubles in the inning.

            Manrique led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run. Lopez singled into left center, and Brett Featherston hit a home run into right center to give UNI a 15-0 lead.

            In the bottom of the sixth, Cory Ege reached on an infield single. He moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on a double down the left line by Brett Douglas to bring the score to 16-0.

            With the bases loaded in the top of the eighth, Paul Zieser hit a bases-clearing double off the right-center wall to score three and bring the score to 16-3.

            Lopez hit a solo home run over the left field wall in the bottom of the eighth to bring the score to 17-3.

            The Panthers return to action on Friday when they play at Indiana State to open a three-game series. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.