Iowa Baseball: Twitter reacts as bullpen meltdown fuels Indiana State

It was all going according to script. The Iowa Hawkeyes were off to the regional championship and one win away from the Super Regionals.

Keyed by sophomore starter Brody Brecht's gem, Iowa had rallied back from an early deficit promptly and then plated a pair in the sixth to move within a win away from the postseason's next round.

Instead, it all went haywire for Iowa (43-15, 15-8 Big Ten) in the eighth. For Indiana State (44-15, 24-3 Missouri Valley Conference), it was shades of its regional opener.

Trailing 4-2 heading into the eighth, Iowa turned to redshirt senior reliever Jared Simpson. Simpson managed just one out. He hit ISU's Randal Diaz to begin the eighth. After a brief recovery to strike out Indiana State's Josue Urdaneta, the Sycamores used a high infield single from Luis Hernandez and Adam Pottinger to load the bases.

Indiana State's Mike Sears drew an RBI walk and suddenly the Sycamores were back within one. That's when Iowa head baseball coach Rick Heller turned to the hero from last night, redshirt junior reliever Luke Llewellyn.

The Urbandale, Iowa, native did inch Iowa within one out of escaping this potentially season-altering jam when he sat Parker Stinson down swinging. But, Miguel Rivera and Grant Magill delivered back-to-back doubles to put Indiana State in front for good and to bust it wide open, 7-4.

That was the final margin as the Hawkeyes sink to the loser's bracket where a rematch against North Carolina awaits tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. CT.

Hawkeye Twitter reacted with disdain as Iowa wasted a seven-inning, two-run, eight strikeout performance from Brecht.

On the board early!

Tello brings home Petersen on an RBI single

T1 | Iowa 1, Indiana St. 0#Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/s6Kia2ST7E

— Iowa Baseball (@UIBaseball) June 3, 2023

Early lead! #Hawkeyes

— Cody Hills (@ByCodyHills) June 3, 2023

Good Brecht in the building, at least through one inning

— Ivan Bologna (@PV_GIA) June 3, 2023

Indiana State comes out aggressive early, but Brody Brecht breezes through a 1-2-3 B1 on just nine pitches. #Hawkeyes

— Dargan Southard (@Dargan_Southard) June 3, 2023

if multiple games at once is too overwhelming might I recommend tuning into this hard-throwing gentleman pitching for Iowa who will be a very high Draft pick in 2024 https://t.co/anXnGNtuMZ pic.twitter.com/gtr9a3RKKW

— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) June 3, 2023

Seegs ties us up! @mSeegs_is4real singles up the middle scoring Tello from second. #RoadToOmaha x 🎥: ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/YV5MvDv1D3

— Iowa Baseball (@UIBaseball) June 3, 2023

YOU CANNNN PUTITONTHEBOOOOOOAAAAARD

— Ivan Bologna (@PV_GIA) June 3, 2023

Just psychologically that feels huge to come back and tie it up right away again. #Hawkeyes

— Cody Hills (@ByCodyHills) June 3, 2023

CROOKED # #OmaHawks

— Scott (@ScottKoops) June 3, 2023

First crooked number for the Hawkeyes. It's 4-2. Let's goooooo

— Ivan Bologna (@PV_GIA) June 3, 2023

Three straight hits for the Hawks!

An RBI double from @shojnar scores @bdorighi from third to retake the lead!

T6 | Iowa 3, Indiana St. 2#Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/FBlycpDJqC

— Iowa Baseball (@UIBaseball) June 3, 2023

Postseason Huck!

Sacrifice fly from @KyleHuckstorf brings in Tello!

T6 | Iowa 4, Indiana State 2#Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/ovsPStIbq3

— Iowa Baseball (@UIBaseball) June 3, 2023

That'll work

— Evan Baedke (@HawkatHeart) June 3, 2023

Crucial shutdown inning from Brody Brecht. who's been undisturbed since the eventful third. Six quality frames on 94 pitches.

— Dargan Southard (@Dargan_Southard) June 3, 2023

𝗡𝗼𝗽𝗲 🚫@brody_brecht with his seventh strikeout of the day. #RoadToOmaha x 🎥: ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/n8blhnGw3o

— Iowa Baseball (@UIBaseball) June 3, 2023

𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘆. 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗵𝘁. 🔥#Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/0tRthsrPPO

— Iowa Baseball (@UIBaseball) June 4, 2023

Heck of a performance by Brody Brecht. 7 innings, 2 hits, 2 runs, 8K's.

— Tom Kakert (@HawkeyeReport) June 3, 2023

Walks off with a disgusting off-speed strikeout pitch. Helluva start. Six to go.

— Ivan Bologna (@PV_GIA) June 3, 2023

not again, ugh

— Evan Baedke (@HawkatHeart) June 4, 2023

Gettin' dicey at The Bob.

— Dargan Southard (@Dargan_Southard) June 4, 2023

Baseball gods can be fickle. Let's go hawks. #hellerball

— Gary Koerner (@koerner_gary) June 4, 2023

Come on Hawks, double play right here

— 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓭™ (@hawkeyeinmd) June 4, 2023

Ugh.

— Irrational Hawkeye (@IrrationalHawk2) June 4, 2023

Luke Llewellyn was nails last night and now he's back in.

What an insanely difficult spot to come in at. Bases loaded. 1 out. Iowa only holds a 4-3 lead.

— David Eickholt (@DavidEickholt) June 4, 2023

where was that ump?

— PlannedSickDays (@PlannedSickDays) June 4, 2023

COME ON UMP

— Irrational Hawkeye (@IrrationalHawk2) June 4, 2023

Ball don't lie baseball edition.

— Irrational Hawkeye (@IrrationalHawk2) June 4, 2023

walks will kill ya

— PlannedSickDays (@PlannedSickDays) June 4, 2023

That was such a dagger man

— Black Heart Gold pain (@BHGP) June 4, 2023

Iowa won three straight games a total of 11 times this season. They’ll need to do it again over the next two days to keep this postseason run alive.

I believe they can do it — but it starts with one. #Hawkeyes

— Cody Hills (@ByCodyHills) June 4, 2023

Hats off to Indiana State. Holy Cow, make some plays in clutch time. Hawks still alive Hawk fans. Don't fret. #hellerball

— Gary Koerner (@koerner_gary) June 4, 2023

Iowa is done

— Birds of Prey (@IowaBoP) June 4, 2023

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Don't worry about me. I'm just over here rage-eating queso dip and shotgunning an entire plastic container of Cuervo margaritas.

— Ivan Bologna (@PV_GIA) June 4, 2023

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