Feb. 21, 2009
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KENNESAW, GA – Senior Brittany Weil was one batter away from a perfect game as the Hawkeyes cruised to a 5-0 win over Miami (OH), Saturday in the K-Club Classic, hosted by Kennesaw State University. Iowa also collected a season-high 11 hits in the victory.
Weil was one strike away from perfection, giving up her first hit of the game with a two-strike count with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Weil, who took a perfect game through 6.2 innings, retired the first 20 batters in order before giving up the lone hit. The Garden Grove, CA, native struck out 13 batters, moving her career total to 822 K’s, which ranks her second on the all-time strikeout list. Weil is now 124 strikeouts behind career leader Lisa Birocci, who struck out 946 batters from 2002-05.
Iowa scored in its first at-bat for the third-straight game, plating two runs in the top of the first. Back-to-back singles by senior Erin Riemersma and junior Taylor Leichsenring started the inning. Junior Katie Brown sacrificed the runners to second and third with no outs and senior Colleen McGlaughlin drove them both in with a double to the right-center gap.
Riemersma made the score 3-0 in the third with a solo home run. Despite a strong wind blowing in, Riemersma drove a ball to straightaway center that had no problem clearing the fence. The Orland Park, IL, native now has two home runs on the weekend and is now alone in fifth place on Iowa’s all-time home run list.
Iowa opened up a 5-0 lead in the fourth off a two-out, two-RBI single by Brown. Freshman Liz Watkins, who reached on a fielder’s choice, and senior Sam Heinzman, who singled, both scored on the hit.
RIemersma, Brown and Schuelke each had two hits, while five others collected one.
The Hawkeyes will take on Buffalo Saturday, with the first pitch at approximately 3:30 p.m. (CT).