April 7, 2010
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IOWA CITY – The University of Iowa softball team moved to 5-0 in Big Ten play with a 9-1, six inning win over Northwestern at a rained soaked Pearl Field Wednesday night. Mother Nature wreaked havoc in Iowa City, causing a one-hour, 15 minute delay to start the game and a 23 minute pause in the sixth inning. Officials were also forced to cancel the second game of a scheduled doubleheader due to the amount of rain in the Iowa City area.
“I’m really proud of how our team battled through the elements,” Head Coach Gayle Blevins said. “Our offense did a great job of giving us a lead and our defense played great behind Chelsea (Lyon). We faced a lot of different situations today and it’s great to get a win.”
Iowa jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. Senior Lindsey Digmann drew a leadoff walk and one batter later, senior Katie Brown blasted a two-run home run over the right field fence. The early home run was Brown’s fifth of the season.
The Hawkeyes managed to score three runs off just one hit, but took advantage of two Wildcat errors for a 5-0 run lead in the fourth. Junior Stephanie Ochoa drew a walk and was replaced at first by freshman pinch-runner Sam Valentine. Freshman Johnnie Dowling then reached on a fielding error allowing Valentine to take second. Senior Taylor Leichsenring followed with a sharp ground ball to third, and the throw across the diamond was in the dirt. Valentine hustled home from second base on the play for a 3-0 lead. Senior Lindsey Digmann made it 5-0 with a two-RBI double to left field.
Northwestern plated its first run in the top of the fifth, but Iowa answered with its own run in the bottom of the inning when junior Jenny Schuelke scored from third on a wild pitch.
The Hawkeyes ended the game early in the sixth with three more runs. Leichsenring scored from third on a passed ball and Digmann slid home safely after another Delaney wild pitch. Schuelke then drove in the game winning run with a double to the left field fence.
Digmann and Schuelke each finished a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate, while Carmody went 2-for-4.
Freshman Chelsea Lyon picked up her fifth-straight win, tossing 4.2 innings. She gave up no earned runs on four hits. Lyon has not allowed an earned run in 35.1 innings.
Iowa will host Purdue at Pearl Field Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.