March 4, 2007
Woodstock, GA – The University of Iowa softball team finished runner-up in the silver bracket at the 2007 Buzz Classic Sunday. Iowa defeated Troy, 10-2 in six innings, but fell to No. 24 Georgia Tech, 6-0 in the championship game of the bracket. Junior Emily Nichols tallied a hit in both games and is now on a 19-game hitting streak.
Georgia Tech took advantage of three Hawkeye errors to claim the silver bracket championship. The Yellow Jackets took an early 2-0 lead in the third inning with a pair of RBI singles, and increased its lead to 5-0 in the fourth with a three-run home run by Caitlin Lever. The Yellow Jackets scored their final run in the sixth inning off a Hawkeye error.
Nichols, along with senior Sami Baugh and junior Stephanie Ackerson, were the only Hawkeyes to record a hit.
Freshman Amanda Zust took the loss, throwing just over three innings. She allowed five runs, only three of which were earned, and struck out four. Ackerson threw two and one-thirds innings relief and struck out two.
Troy jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning of game one, but the Hawkeyes responded with three runs in the bottom of the first for a 3-2 lead. Sophomore Summer Downs started the rally with a double and senior Mindy Heidgerken took her place at second. Nichols then walked Heidgerken scored on an RBI double by sophomore Colleen McGlaughlin for the first run of the frame. Senior Sami Baugh then plated Nichols and McGlaughlin on a two-RBI single.
Iowa took a 4-2 lead in the second when McGlaughlin drew a bases loaded walk that scored pinch-runner Callie Adreon.
The Hawkeyes plated another run in the third when sophomore Rachel West scored on a pinch-hit groundout by freshman Taylor Leichsenring.
Iowa delivered the knockout blow in the fourth inning with four runs to take a 9-2 lead. Junior Stephanie Ackerson drew the second bases loaded walk of the game to score Nichols for the first run of the inning. McGlaughlin scored later in the inning off an error by the Troy third baseman and sophomore Erin Riemersma followed with a two-RBI double.
Baugh plated Nichols with an RBI double in the fifth for the final run of the game.
Riemersma, Baugh and West each collected two hits against Troy while Baugh tallied three RBI. Nichols was named to the all-tournament team.
Ackerson threw all five innings against Troy. She struck out two and walk three.
Iowa travels to California for its annual spring break trip next weekend. The Hawkeyes will compete in the National Invitational Softball Tournament (NIST), starting Friday, March 9.