March 6, 2009
- 2009 Softball Season Ticket Application
- Iowa and the Big Ten Network
- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch
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- SoftBlog
LAKEWOOD, CA – UCLA’s Katie Schroeder hit a walk-off, two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to end Iowa’s upset bid over the No. 4 ranked Bruins, 2-1. The loss snapped Iowa’s seven-game winning streak and its 51-inning opponent scoreless streak.
The international tiebreaker rule was put into play after neither team could plate a run after seven innings. Iowa, who was the visiting team, started the eighth by placing freshman Katie Keim on second base. She was sacrificed to third by freshman Liz Watkins, and senior Sam Heinzman drove in the first run of the game with a sharp single through the right side.
UCLA’s Monica Harrison was put on second in the bottom of the eighth and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. Katie Schroeder then ended the game in dramatic fashion with the walk-off home run.
Senior Brittany Weil took command of the game early, retiring 12-straight batters between the first and fifth innings. She struck out 12 batters, including sitting down the side in the second, two batters looking in the third and fourth and one hitter in the first, fifth and sixth frames. She held the potent UCLA offense, which entered the game batting .326 with 35 home runs, to just two runs on three hits.
Weil worked her way out of a small jam in the bottom of the fifth to keep the game scoreless. After recording the first two outs in order, Weil walked two-straight batters. She then got UCLA leadoff hitter Amanda Kamekona to hit a grounder to third, getting out of the frame.
Weil once again worked her magic in the bottom of the sixth to keep the Hawkeyes alive. UCLA’s Gionna DiSalvatore tallied a one-out double to right field and became the first runner of the game to reach third base on a ground out. Weil ended the frame with a backwards K to keep the scoreboard showing zeros.
The Hawkeyes had slight scoring chances in the third, fourth and sixth innings, but couldn’t plate the go-ahead run. Iowa had a runner on second base in each frame, but couldn’t move to third.
Iowa continues play at the Long Beach Tournament Saturday when it faces host-school Long Beach State at 10:45 a.m.