May 15, 2010
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IOWA CITY – The University of Iowa softball team was defeated by No. 2 Michigan, 6-0 Saturday at Pearl Field in front of a season-high 933 fans. The Hawkeyes end the 2010 season in fifth place in the Big Ten with a 10-9 mark, along with a 25-23 record overall.
“Michigan showed why they are the No. 2 team in the country today,” Head Coach Gayle Blevins said. “Nikki Nemitz threw a great game. I thought Chelsea (Lyon) did a great job in relief, but we just couldn’t get it done today.”
Michigan senior Nikki Nemitz kept the Hawkeye offense in check, tossing a one-hit shutout. Iowa senior Taylor Leichsenring tallied a leadoff single in the bottom of the first, and that was the only hit the Hawkeyes could manage off the Wolverine all-American.
Michigan took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning when Amanda Chidester singled with the bases loaded to drive in two runs.
The Wolverines added another run in the sixth off a double steal with runners on first and third for a 3-0 advantage. Michigan scored its fourth run off a bases loaded walk, and a two-RBI single by Nemitz made the score 6-0.
Senior Amanda Zust started the game and took the loss. She allowed two runs on just two hits with two strikeouts. Lyon tossed four innings of relief and gave up four earned runs on five hits with two strikeouts.
Saturday was “Senior Day” at Pearl Field, as the Hawkeyes honored Leichsenring, Zust, Katie Brown, Heidi Daumen and Lindsey Digmann before the game.