April 22, 2010
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IOWA CITY – On Deck
The University of Iowa softball team (23-14, 8-1) travels to State College, PA, this weekend to take on Penn State (26-16, 5-7). Game one of the two-game set is Saturday at Noon (CT), while game two is slated for an 11 a.m. (CT) first pitch Sunday.
Live Audio from Your Computer
You can follow the Hawkeyes from your computer via the All-Access page at hawkeyesports.com. Rob Brooks, the voice of Iowa softball, will be calling the action live at all home and away events for the remainder of the season. Hawkeye All-Access is a subscription service that charges $9.95 per month.
Hawkeyes on the Web
Fans that can’t make it to Pearl Field for the home opener can follow the action at hawkeyesports.com, where live stats (Gametracker) will be available. The “GT” link can be found under the calendar tab on the right-hand side of the hawkeyesports.com home page, or on the softball schedule page.
Scouting Penn State
The Penn State Nittany Lions are 26-16 overall and 5-7 in Big Ten play.
Danee Collett has started all 42 games and leads the team with a .331 batting average. She also has a team-best five home runs, 11 doubles and 29 RBI. Cassidy Bell has also started every game and is second on the team with a .321 batting average. She is tied for the team lead in runs scored (31) with Ashley Griffith.
Penn State has a two-person pitching rotation, consisting of Jackie Hill and Lisa Akamine. Hill is 12-10 with a 2.21 ERA. She has thrown 145.2 innings with 163 strikeouts and 51 walks. Hill has thrown 17 complete games and two shutouts. Akamine is 14-6 with a 2.47 ERA and has 132 strikeouts to 41 walks in 127.2 innings of work. She has 10 complete games and one shutout.
Series Notes
? Iowa leads the all-time series, 38-13. The Hawkeyes have won 10 of the previous 13 meetings. Penn State swept Iowa in a Sunday doubleheader last season.
Dowling Heating Up
Freshman Johnnie Dowling hit two home runs and recorded a 1.125 slugging percentage in three games last week. She was also a perfect 3-for-3 in stolen bases and scored four runs.
Dowling scored the game-winning run in Iowa’s 1-0 win over Wisconsin in game one of a doubleheader. Her second-career home run came in Iowa’s 14-1, five-inning win over Wisconsin in game two.
Dowling stayed hot in Iowa’s non-conference victory over Western Illinois Sunday, going 2-for-3 with a career-best four RBI. She roped a two-RBI single in the first and ended the game with walk-off, two-run home run that put the mercy rule in effect.
Hawkeye Pitchers Wheeling and Dealing
Iowa’s pitching staff has been solid since its Spring Break Trip to Florida.
Over the last 20 games, the Hawkeye pitchers have a combined 1.11 ERA. Freshman Chelsea Lyon and senior Amanda Zust have allowed only 21 earned runs in 132.2 innings of work while recording 78 strikeouts.
Lyon is 6-2 with a sparkling 0.25 ERA during the stretch while Zust is 9-3 with a 1.73 ERA.
Lyon Keeps on Rolling
Freshman Chelsea Lyon has been hot in her last nine apperances.
Lyon is 5-1 and has not allowed an earned run in her last 44.1 innings pitched. She has struck out 18, with five starts and three complete games. She has also limited her opponents to a .189 batting average.
Battle For the Team Lead
Iowa’s offensive balance is evident on the stat sheet.
Senior Lindsey Digmann leads the team with a .353 batting average with sophomore Liz Watkins only two points behind (.351). Digmann and Watkins are also tied for the team lead with 20 runs scored.
Digmann also leads the Hawkeyes with 42 hits with Chelsey Carmody close behind at 41. Carmody leads the team with six home runs, while Watkins and senior Katie Brown each have five.
Brown also has a team-best 27 RBI, while Watkins and Carmody are tied for second with 21.
Getting Ground Balls
Iowa’s infield has been very busy over the past eight games.
The Hawkeye infield has recorded a combined 107 putouts and 64 assists with five errors (.972). Iowa’s outfield has only seen 17 chances, with 16 putouts and one assist (1.000).
Lineup…Same
The Hawkeye defensive alignment has stayed the same over the past seven games.
The lineup includes Watkins (C), Brown (1B), Digmann (2B), Carmody (SS), Keim (3B), Schuelke (LF), Dowling (CF) and Leichsenring (RF).
Where’s Digs?
Senior Lindsey Digmann has been a fixture in the Iowa lineup, but not in one particular place. After starting the first 24 games at third base, Digs has seen time in left field, center field, second base and as the designated player. Digmann has started the last eight-straight at second base.
She has also bounced around the lineup – hitting leadoff (.355), second (.412) and ninth (.212) in the batting order.