April 20, 2007
IOWA CITY – The University of Iowa softball team defeated Penn State, 1-0 at Pearl Field. The Hawkeyes improved their record to 32-17 overall and 7-4 in Big Ten play.
Iowa scored the only run of the contest in the bottom of the sixth. Sophomore Erin Riemersma started the inning with a double to the center field fence and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Taylor Leichsenring. She scored on an RBI single up the middle by junior Emily Nichols.
Penn State threatened in the top of the fourth with the bases loaded and no outs. Hollee Haines hit a fly ball to center field that was caught by senior Mindy Heidgerken. Penn State’s Jenn Reynolds took off from third and tried to score, but Heidgerken fired the ball on a line to Nichols at home, who applied the tag for a double-play. After hitting a batter to load the bases for the second time in the frame, sophomore Brittany Weil recorded a strikeout to end the inning.
Nichols nearly gave Iowa a 1-0 in the bottom of the fourth with a towering fly ball to left field, but Penn State left fielder Ashley Griffith jumped against the fence to rob Nichols of a home run.
Heidgerken made another nice catch in center field in the top of the fifth. Nittany Lion center fielder Danielle Kinley hit a high fly ball tailing away from Heidgerken, but she reached out to make a snow-cone catch on the warning track for the final out of the frame.
Sophomore Colleen McGlaughlin collected two hits while four other Hawkeyes each had one hit.
Weil threw her 13th complete and seventh shutout of the season. She allowed five hits and struck out six.
Iowa and Penn State play game two of the series Saturday at Noon.
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