Massey's Gem Lifts Iowa

Stats

May 11, 2012

Box Score

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MINNEAPOLIS — The University of Iowa softball team posted a 1-0, eight inning victory at Minnesota on Friday night at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium. The victory keeps the Hawkeyes 1 1/2 games back of league-leading Michigan with two games to play.

“I am proud of the team and how they hung in there and kept battling until the end and finally pushed the run across,” said UI head coach Marla Looper. “It was a great team effort, and it was nice to be able to get a run across in the eighth.”

The win improves Iowa’s record to 26-25 overall and 15-7 in Big Ten play, while Minnesota falls to 30-21 overall and 9-13 in conference play.

Starting pitchers Kayla Massey and Sara Moulton stole the show in the game, as the duo allowed just five hits over the first seven innings.

Massey hurled her fifth complete game shutout in her last eight starts, allowing a pair of Minnesota hits over eight innings. The sophomore sat the Gophers down in order in four of the eight frames and finished with four strikeouts to two walks. She improved her record to 14-11 on the year, and it was her team-best seventh shutout.

“You can tell Kayla has an edge on her,” said Looper. “When she is on, she is tough to hit and tough to beat.”

Moulton scattered four Iowa hits in the game, while striking out six. A two-base throwing error by Minnesota catcher Kari Dorle in the top of the eighth inning proved to be the difference.

Junior Johnnie Dowling struck out swinging to lead off the inning, but Dorle’s errant throw sailed into foul territory down the right field line, allowing Dowling to advance to second base. After junior Bradi Wall couldn’t get down the sacrifice bunt and flied out to left field, freshman Megan Blank delivered an RBI single up the middle to give the Hawkeyes the 1-0 lead.

Massey then retired the Gophers in order to keep the Hawkeyes’ Big Ten title hopes alive. Michigan moved to within a win of claiming the league title by edging Purdue, 2-1, Friday in Ann Arbor.

Four different Iowa players accounted for the team’s four hits. Dowling’s career-best seven game hitting streak came to a halt, but she scored the game’s only run.

The game lasted one hour and 54 minutes and included a 1:01 rain delay in the third inning.

Iowa returns to action tomorrow afternoon, facing the Golden Gophers in a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.