Feb. 22, 2008
Tempe, AZ – The University of Iowa softball team defeated Miami (3-2) and Buffalo (6-1) Friday at the Littlewood Classic on a chilly and rainy day in Tempe, AZ. The wins improved Iowa’s record to 6-1 overall.
“It was good to get two wins today,” Head Coach Gayle Blevins said. “I thought Amanda (Zust) pitched great in both relief and starting roles today. We also got great at-bats from Colleen (McGlaughlin) and Katie Brown in game two. Erin (Riemersma) played great defensively for us today as well. We found ways to score and move runners. That’s what we like to see out of our team.”
In game one against Miami, the Redhawks took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second off back-to-back doubles by Alicia Hogl and Briana Burke, but the Hawkeyes responded with three runs in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead.
Junior Colleen McGlaughlin hit a sharp line drive that glanced off the Miami third baseman’s glove and rolled to the outfield. The Redhawk leftfielder then bobbled the ball, which allowed McGlaughlin to slide in safely to second. After junior Callie Adreon entered as a pinch-runner, junior Erin Riemersma smacked a towering, two-run home run that wrapped around the left field foul pole for a 2-1 lead. Senior Summer Downs followed with a single up the middle and then stole second. Downs advanced to third on a single by freshman Jenny Schuelke, and scored on a double-steal. Schuelke took off for second base and the Redhawk catcher attempted to throw her out. Schuelke then forced a rundown and was tagged out after Downs crossed home plate.
Miami cut the Hawkeye lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI single by Christine Bills. That would be as close as the Redhawks would get, as sophomore Amanda Zust threw two innings in relief for her first-career save.
Freshman Chelsey Carmody, sophomore Lindsey Digmann and Downs each collected two hits to lead Iowa at the plate.
Weil threw five innings in the win, striking out five. Zust threw two innings of relief and struck out four.
“I thought our offense came out aggressive in game one,” Riemersma said. “We collected a lot of hits and we had different people get hits at different times. Our goal is to get even more aggressive.”
Iowa jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in game two against Buffalo. McGlaughlin and senior Emily Nichols roped back-to-back doubles to score the first run of the contest.
The Hawkeyes tacked on three more runs in the second for a 4-0 lead. Sophomore Katie Brown started the inning with a single and was replaced on the bases by Adreon. After a Lindsey Major walk, junior Quinn Morelock laid down a sacrifice bunt and the throw to first skipped in the dirt, allowing Adreon to score while Major moved to third and a hustling Morelock took second. Major then scored on a wild pitch and Digmann followed with a squeeze bunt. Morelock slid safely under the tag at home for the final run of the frame.
Junior Rachel West scored on a well-executed squeeze play in the fourth for a 5-1 advantage. West reached first on an infield single and then stole both second and third base. She scored later in the inning off a perfect squeeze bunt down the first base line by McGlaughlin.
Iowa scored its final run of the game in the sixth inning. Carmody reached first on an error and then stole second. She then moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Digmann and scored on an RBI single by McGlaughlin.
Brown and McGlaughlin each finished with two hits while McGlaughlin added two RBI.
Zust tossed her second complete game and her first shutout of the season. She struck out nine and walked two in seven innings of work.
“It was fun to finally get out on the dirt,” Zust said. “I thought our defense was solid all day and it was great to have a lead early. We kept building off that first inning lead and I think this gives up some momentum for the rest of the weekend.”
The Hawkeyes return to action Saturday, when they face Illinois State at 2 p.m. and fourth-ranked Arizona State at 4:30 p.m. Fans can find Gametracker links at hawkeyesports.com and can also find a live web broadcast for the game against Illinois State at WJBC2.com.
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