IOWA CITY, Iowa (Interstat) — Mitch Wood’s three-run homer in the seventh inning erased a late deficit and ignited a decisive rally as the Iowa Hawkeyes outslugged the Lindenwood Lions 11-6 on Friday night at Duane Banks Field.

The Hawkeyes, trailing 6-5 entering the bottom of the seventh, sent 11 men to the plate and scored six runs to seize control of the series opener. The inning turned on one swing from Wood, the designated hitter, who launched a pitch down the left field line to score Sam Wulf and Gable Strohmeyer ahead of him.

Wood finished 2 for 3 with the home run and three RBIs. His blast came immediately after Lindenwood had extended its lead to 6-5 in the top of the frame on a two-run single by Charlie IsomMcCall.

Iowa starter Jaron Bleeker delivered a strong performance to keep the Hawkeyes close, earning the win with six innings of work. He allowed two earned runs on five hits while striking out eight. His outing provided stability after Lindenwood’s early two-run rally in the second inning, which came against Lions starter Josh Newell.

Newell was effective for 5 1/3 innings, allowing three earned runs on no hits, but he walked six batters. The Lions bullpen could not hold the lead he left with.

The game was a back-and-forth affair after Iowa chipped away at an early 2-0 deficit. Kooper Schulte hit a solo home run in the fifth inning to make it 6-3. The Hawkeyes then capitalized on a Lindenwood error in the sixth, scoring twice, with Jaylen Ziegler driving in a run with a triple and later scoring on a caught stealing to narrow the gap to 6-5.

Ziegler was a catalyst for Iowa, going 3 for 5 with two RBIs. His single in the seventh inning drove in another run during the decisive rally.

After Wood’s go-ahead homer, Iowa added two insurance runs in the eighth on an RBI single by Ben Nerat and a sacrifice fly from Max Burt.

Lindenwood mounted a final push in the ninth, scoring three runs on a two-out, two-run homer by Jake Radosevich, but it was not enough. The Lions collected 10 hits, led by Tyler Ellis, who went 3 for 4 with an RBI, and IsomMcCall, who had two hits and two RBIs.

Tanner Paschke provided a bright spot for the Lions’ bullpen with a scoreless inning of relief.

The victory improved Iowa’s record to 6-4, while Lindenwood fell to 5-8. The two teams continue their three-game series on Saturday.

The most important part of the game was the bottom of the seventh inning. With Iowa trailing 6-5, the Hawkeyes’ offense exploded for six runs, transforming a one-run deficit into a commanding 9-6 lead. The pivotal blow was Mitch Wood’s three-run homer, which immediately answered Lindenwood’s two-run top of the seventh and shifted all momentum permanently to the home side. The inning saw Iowa bat around, combining hits, walks, and timely hitting to break the game open against the Lindenwood bullpen.