Hawkeyes Roll Past Longwood, 6-0

March 6, 2009

Lakewood, CA – The University of Iowa softball team extended its winning streak to seven games with a 6-0 win over Longwood at the Long Beach Tournament. The Hawkeyes plated at least one run in the first four innings for the victory.

Junior Amanda Zust was on fire in the circle for the Hawkeyes, tossing her first shutout and third complete game of the season. Zust allowed only one hit, which was in the first inning, before sitting down the final 19 batters in order. The Des Moines native tied a season-high with 10 strikeouts and did not walk a batter.

The Hawkeye pitching staff has not allowed a run over the seven-game winning streak, totaling 44 innings.

Senior Erin Riemersma got Iowa on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning. The Orland Park, IL, native singled to right then hustled to second when an attempted pickoff throw from the Longwood catcher skipped into the outfield. Junior Taylor Leichsenring sacrificed Riemersma to third and junior Katie Brown followed with a sharp ground ball to second base that was bobbled, allowing Riemersma to score.

The Hawkeyes tacked on another run in the bottom of the second for a 2-0 lead. Sophomore Jenny Schuelke roped a double to the center field fence, followed by a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Chelsey Carmody. Freshman Katie Keim drove Schuelke with a sharp single down the right field line.

Senior Colleen McGlaughlin kept the scoring alive for Iowa in the third inning, upping the lead to 4-0. Brown kept the frame alive when she hustled out a double after a soft fly ball to center field. McGlaughlin collected her first home run of the season in the next at-bat with a mammoth shot that had no problem clearing the temporary fence roughly 210 feet out. The home run ball also nearly carried the green-monster like permanent baseball fence in left field.

Iowa put up two runs in the fourth to take a 6-0 advantage. Carmody started things with a single and then stole second base. Freshman Liz Watkins then hit a line shot through the left side, with Carmody rounding third and hustling for the plate. The throw from left field brought the Longwood catcher up the line, and Carmody slid through the catcher, forcing her to drop the ball to score the run. Junior Heidi Daumen took Watkins’ place at second and later scored on an RBI double by Riemersma.

The Hawkeyes return to action at approximately 8 p.m. (CT) Friday when they face fourth-ranked UCLA.