April 16, 2004
IOWA CITY – With a 9-1, six-inning win over Coe College Friday night, University of Iowa Head Coach Gayle Blevins won her 1,000th career game. Blevins becomes just the third Division I coach to reach 1,000 wins. Margie Wright of Fresno State is the all-time wins leader with 1,115, while JoAnn Graff of Florida State has 1,040.
The win was not only Blevins’ 1,000th career victory, but her 700th at the University of Iowa. Her all-time record stands at 1,000-463, while her mark at Iowa is 700-315.
Iowa jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning with an RBI single from Kylie Murray. They added two more in the fourth with a two-run home run from freshman Sami Baugh. The shot over the leftfield fence was Baugh’s first-career home run.
The Hawkeyes upped their lead to 4-0 with a monster home run off the top of the scoreboard in centerfield by Natalie Johnson. It was her team-leading fourth of the season.
Iowa then ended the game via run-rule in the bottom of the sixth when they picked up five more runs off six hits.
Johnson was 3-of-4 on the day with three runs scored and two RBIs. Baugh was 3-for-3 with two RBIs.
In the circle, sophomore Ali Arnold kept the Kohawk bats in check the entire way, throwing a six-inning one-hitter. She walked just one and struck out nine in raising her record to 14-7.
Iowa returns to action Sunday when they take on arch-rival and Big Ten Co-Leader Michigan. The doubleheader is slated for Noon at Pearl Field.