April 6, 2008
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University Park, PA – The University of Iowa softball team defeated Penn State, 5-2, in game one of Sunday’s doubleheader. Iowa moves to 24-12 overall and 3-2 in Big Ten play.
The Hawkeye bats started hot with three-straight singles to score the first run of the game. Sophomore Lindsey Digmann slapped a single to center and junior Colleen McGlaughlin followed with a sharp single through the left side of the infield. Junior Erin Riemersma then smacked an RBI single to center that scored Digmann from second base.
Iowa increased its lead to 3-0 in the third inning. Digmann tallied a one-out single to get things started. McGlaughlin stepped in and was robbed of her fifth home run of the season at the left field fence by Ashley Griffith. With a strong wind blowing in, McGlaughlin tagged a ball to left but Griffith climbed the fence and kept the ball in the park with a nice catch. Digmann then stole second and an errant throw from the Penn State catcher rolled into center, allowing Digmann to advance to third. Riemersma followed with a walk and then stole second. Both runners scored on a two-RBI single by sophomore Katie Brown.
Penn State cut into Iowa’s lead with a run in the bottom of the fourth to make the score 3-1. Desi Giordano drew a leadoff walk and was sacrificed to second. She scored on an RBI single from Sam Hovanec.
Iowa took advantage of a Penn State error to make its lead 4-2 in the top of the sixth. Senior Summer Downs singled and moved to second on an Emily Nichols walk. Junior Quinn Morelock then hit a ground ball to shortstop and the throw to third ended up in the Penn State dugout, which allowed Downs to score on the dead ball.
Brown delivered her third hit and third RBI of the game in the top of the seventh for a 5-2 Hawkeye lead. McGlaughlin walked with one out in the inning and scored from first on a two-out double by Brown that rolled to the left field fence.
Brown finished 3-4 with three RBI while Digmann collected two hits.
Junior Brittany Weil allowed two runs on five hits while striking out four and walking three in her 15th complete game of the season.
Game two of Sunday’s doubleheader will start at approximately 3:00 p.m.