Feb. 24, 2006
Columbus, GA – The University of Iowa softball team dropped a pair of games against nationally-ranked and undefeated opponents at the NFCA Leadoff Classic on Friday. Iowa was defeated by No. 14 Louisiana-Lafayette, 6-2 and No. 2 Tennessee, 11-2 in five innings.
Louisiana-Lafayette scored six runs off of three homers against the Hawkeyes in game one. Sophomore Emily Nichols collected Iowa’s lone hit in the contest in the fifth inning.
Freshman Brittany Weil picked up her third loss of the season. Weil threw three innings and gave up four runs on five hits while striking out four. Senior Ali Arnold threw three innings of relief and allowed two runs on four hits and struck out three.
Tennessee jumped out to an early 3-0 lead and added two more runs in the top of the third off back-to-back home runs. Iowa tried to fight back by adding two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Nichols led off the inning with a walk and freshman Rachel West replaced her on the bases. Senior Stacy May followed with a single, advancing West to second. Senior Kylie Murray then laid a sacrifice bunt to move runners to second and third and West scored off an illegal pitch call. Next up was freshman Erin Riemersma who walked and stole second. May scored off the double-steal for the second run of the inning.
The Lady Vols put the game away in the top of the fifth with five runs and the Hawkeyes couldn’t manage to score another run off Tennessee all-American pitcher Monica Abbott. May and junior Sami Baugh recorded Iowa’s two hits while Arnold threw all five innings in the loss.
The Hawkeyes continue play in the NFCA Leadoff Classic against Florida State Saturday at 11:30 a.m.