April 18, 2010
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IOWA CITY – The University of Iowa softball team used a solid pitching performance from senior Amanda Zust and excellent defense to shutout Western Illinois, 8-0 in six innings Sunday at Pearl Field. Iowa improved its overall record to 23-14 with the win.
“I thought Amanda (Zust) was very good today,” Head Coach Gayle Blevins said. She had great control and kept Western Illinois off the scoreboard. Our defense was exceptional and we used a great first inning to get the win.”
Iowa’s bats came out on fire, plating five runs in the first inning. Senior Taylor Leichsenring reached on a leadoff infield single and scored the first run on an RBI double by senior Katie Brown. Junior Jenny Schuelke drew a walk and a Chelsey Carmody single loaded the bases for sophomore Katie Keim, who blooped a two-RBI single into right field. Freshman Johnnie Dowling then recorded her own two-RBI single up the middle, making the score 5-0 after the first.
Two Western Illinois miscues allowed Iowa to add another run in the third for a 6-0 lead. Schuelke reached first on a dropped third strike and scored from first base after an attempted throw to second base after a ground ball sailed to the outfield.
Iowa ended the game early in the sixth-inning with a walk-off home run. Junior Sarah Spiering drew a walk and was replaced at first by pinch-runner Ashley Akers. Freshman Johnnie Dowling then sent the Leathernecks home with a towering shot to left field that barely stayed fair as it left the park.
Leichsenring and Dowling led the Hawkeyes with two hits each while Dowling added a career-high four RBI.
Zust tossed her fifth complete game shutout of the season, scattering seven hits on the day. Zust struck out three with no walks.
Iowa’s defense turned three double plays to keep the Leathernecks off the scoreboard. Two double plays were turned off shallow fly balls caught by the Hawkeye infield with runners on base and the other was a perfectly executed 1-6-3 double play.
Iowa returns to Big Ten play next weekend when it travels to Penn State for a two-game series. Game one is scheduled for Saturday at 12 p.m. (CT).