Iowa Downs Iowa State in Cy-Hawk Finale, 8-3

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May 1, 2013

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Highlights, Reaction from Iowa’s win over ISU

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IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa softball team defeated Iowa State, 8-3, on Wednesday night in its home finale and the final Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series event of the year.

Iowa, winner of the 2012-13 Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series, extends its lead to 16-9. The Iowa women’s gymnastics team clinched the Cy-Hawk Series with a 196.375-194.575 victory over Iowa State on March 8. Iowa has claimed the last seven events in the series this year (wrestling, women’s basketball, men’s basketball, women’s swimming, women’s tennis, women’s gymnastics, softball). The academic points remain.

Iowa improves to 27-23 overall; Iowa State falls to 21-30. Iowa has won nine of the last 12 meetings in the series.

The Hawkeyes complete the sweep of their in-state foes. Iowa won at Drake (18-0, April 3) and at UNI (10-1, April 25), before topping the Cyclones. Iowa outscored the three state rivals, 36-4.

Iowa State scored the game’s first run in the opening frame, pushing across an unearned run with two outs. The Hawkeyes answered in the bottom half. Johnnie Dowling and Megan Blank singled in front of Michelle Zoeller, who doubled off the wall in right center to push across both runners. Blank’s single extended her reached-base streak to 36 games.

The Cyclones pushed across a single tally in the next frame to even the score at 2-2. In the bottom half, Ashley Akers and Dowling used a walk and a single to start a two-out rally. Bradi Wall stepped to the dish and laced a single to center to score Akers and give Iowa the lead again at 3-2.

The visitors notched two-straight, two-out doubles in the top of the third to even the score at 3-3. The Hawkeyes regained the lead for a third time in the bottom half. Kayla Massey laced a double down the line in left to score Zoeller from first. Brianna Luna and Akers followed with RBI singles to push across two more runs and extend the lead to 6-3.

After the game’s first scoreless inning in the fourth, Luna launched her first home run of the season off the top of the scoreboard in center, extending the home team’s lead to 7-3. Iowa loaded the bases later in the frame and Zoeller was plunked to bring home Iowa’s eighth run.

“She squared it up and drove it,” said UI head coach Marla Looper about Luna’s home run. “You tip your cap when you can hit it into a headwind like that. It was really nice to see.”

The Hawkeyes out-hit the visitors, 13-9, moving to 21-4 when out-hitting their opponent. Dowling equaled a game high with three hits, finishing 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Zoeller (2-for-2), Luna (2-for-4) and Akers (2-for-3) also tallied multiple-hit contests.

Taylor Smith took the loss for the Cyclones, allowing six runs on 10 hits in two and two-thirds. Tori Torrescano allowed two runs on three hits in three and a third of relief.

Massey earned the win for Iowa, equaling a career best with her 15th victory of the season (15-12). The junior allowed two earned runs on nine hits in a complete seven innings.

“Kayla and her supporting cast settled in after the first three innings,” said Looper. “We did a better job defensively and in the circle.”

The contest marked the final regular season home game for senior Akers, Dowling, Chelsea Lyon, Sam Valentine and Wall.

The Hawkeyes travel to West Lafayette, Ind., to conclude the regular season this weekend against Purdue (22-28, 8-12). The series opener is set for 3 p.m. on Friday. The middle game and series finale will start at noon on Saturday and Sunday. All times are Central and all games will be played at the Boilermaker Softball Complex.

“We start with the first game on Friday night,” said Looper. “You cannot win them all unless you win the first one. Friday’s game is the most important on our schedule right now.”