Offense Leads Hawkeyes Past Bulldogs

Stats

Feb. 14, 2010

Box Score

Box Score

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – The University of Iowa softball team rallied for the second time in as many days to top Drake, 7-3, in the final game of the Metrodome Tournament. Iowa allowed three runs in the top of the first inning before scoring seven unanswered runs to top the Bulldogs and finish the tournament with a 3-2 record.

Iowa began chipping away at Drake’s first inning lead with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame. Lindsey Digmann beat out an infield single and Chelsey Carmody smacked her third career homerun as Iowa pulled within a run.

Trailing 3-2, the Hawkeyes loaded the bases in the third inning before junior Jenny Schuelke coaxed a base-on-balls to force the tying run across the plate. Stephanie Ochoa then bounced a hard hopper to shortstop, but Drake was unable to force an out at the plate as Digmann raced home for the go-ahead run. With the sacks still packed, sophomore Liz Watkins laced her second triple of the tournament into the right-center gap to clear the bags and give Iowa a commanding 7-3 lead.

Senior Amanda Zust (1-1) pitched around a leadoff double in the fourth inning and held the Bulldogs scoreless over the final six innings en route to her first win of the season.

Carmody and Schuelke were named to the all-tournament team. Carmody batted .400 with a homerun and a pair of RBI while Schuelke hit .385 and belted the game-winning homerun in Iowa’s 2-1 victory over Western Illinois.

The Hawkeyes (3-2) return to action next weekend at the Littlewood Classic in Tempe, AZ.