March 17, 2004
SACRAMENTO, CA – The University of Iowa softball swept a doubleheader with Sacramento State Wednesday, 2-1 in eight innings and 6-0. The wins improved Iowa to 14-8. The Hornets fell to 11-13.
In the first game, the Hawkeyes broke a 1-1, eighth-inning tie when pinch hitter Elisha Huse singled to right field, scoring Jenna Spratt. Iowa then gunned down Leslie Mayhorn at the plate in the bottom half of the inning to secure the win.
The Hawkeyes struck first with a run in the top of the first inning. With runners on the corner, Laura Chipman was thrown out trying to steal second base. However, Emily Gerlick beat the return throw to the plate on the double steal. Neither team was able to score until the fifth inning, when the Hornets tied the game on a line drive up the middle from Mayhorn.
Ali Arnold went the distance to earn the win and improve to 8-4. Nicole Deatherage (5-5) suffered the loss and had her streak of consecutive innings without allowing an earned run end at 36 2/3.
Iowa scored four runs in the third inning of the second game and added two more in the sixth to walk away with an easy victory. With one out, Amanda Hentges started the first rally with a double to left center. Gerlick, Mindy Heidgerken and Kylie Murray all followed with singles to make the score 2-0. An additional run scored on a groundout from Stacy May and a single from Lisa Birocci.
Birocci also recorded a complete game to raise her record to 6-4. She added a pair of hits while striking out four and allowing just four hits.
Iowa will compete in the Capital Classic beginning on Friday, March 19.