March 25, 2006
IOWA CITY – The University of Iowa softball team picked up two wins at the Hawkeye Classic Saturday. Iowa defeated South Dakota State, 5-3 in a 10 inning thriller and picked up a 3-0 win over North Dakota State.
South Dakota State nearly took an early lead in the second inning off a single to center field, but junior Mindy Heidgerken threw a rope from center to catcher Sami Baugh, who tagged out the base runner to end the inning.
Iowa took a 1-0 advantage in the third off an RBI single by senior Stacy May. Sophomore Steph Ackerson started the inning with an infield single and Callie Adreon took her place on first. Freshman Erin Riemersma sacrificed Adreon to second, where she scored on May’s single to right field.
After South Dakota State tied the contest in the sixth, Iowa, who was the visiting team on the scoreboard, nearly plated the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh. Ackerson hit a single to center field but pinch-runner Emily Gerlick was thrown out on a close play at home. Riemersma followed with a double to right field to put runners on second and third with two outs, but May popped out to right to end the inning.
The Jackrabbits could not produce the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh, so international tiebreak rules were used. May was placed on second to start the extra frame. Heidgerken laid a sacrifice bunt to advance May to third and sophomore Emily Nichols followed with a sacrifice fly to left field, which allowed May to beat the throw home to put the Hawkeyes up, 2-1.
South Dakota State leveled the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the eighth. After a baserunner was placed on second, Kiley Schwedhelm reached base on an error, moving Tessie Winterton to third. Another Hawkeye error allowed Winterton to score the tying run while South Dakota State had runners on the corners with only one out. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, Nichols fielded an attempted squeeze bunt and threw the go-ahead run out at the plate. Freshman Brittany Weil, who relieved starting pitcher Ali Arnold in the fourth, recorded a bases loaded strikeout to end the Jackrabbit threat.
The Hawkeyes took the lead in the ninth off an RBI single by freshman Colleen McGlaughlin that scored Downs, who was the runner placed on second. The Jackrabbits kept the game alive in the bottom of the ninth when Winterton knocked in Erin Jones, who was also the runner placed on second.
Iowa took the lead for good in the top of the ninth off an RBI double by Nichols that scored May from second. Senior Kylie Murray followed with a single up the middle to move Nichols to third who scored on a passed ball for the 5-3 lead.
May, Murray and Ackerson each collected two hits for the Hawkeyes in game one. Weil picked up her 10th win of the season, throwing five and two-thirds innings in relief while striking out four.
May kicked off game two against North Dakota State with a solo home run over the left field fence for an early, 1-0 lead.
Nichols added another solo home run for the Hawkeyes in the fourth inning to make the score 2-0. She now has three home runs this season.
The Hawkeyes added another insurance run in the sixth after Adreon scored off a throwing error by North Dakota State.
Nichols was 2-3 to lead the Hawkeye offense. Four other Hawkeyes picked up hits against North Dakota State.
Weil and Arnold combined for the shutout. Arnold recorded the win, throwing four and two-thirds innings. Weil threw two and two-thirds innings in relief.
Iowa wraps up the Hawkeye Classic Sunday against Ball State at 3:30 p.m.