Feb. 14, 2014
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WACO, Texas — It took an extra inning to decide the victor between the University of Iowa and No. 14/18 Missouri on Friday night. The Tigers (2-0) used a walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth inning to secure the 2-1 final win and hand the Hawkeyes (2-4) their second loss of the day.
The Hawkeyes took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Erin Erickson knocked a ball over the right field fence for her second home run of the season and Iowa’s second long ball of the year.
Senior starting pitcher Kayla Massey and the Hawkeyes allowed two Missouri hits in the bottom half of the first inning, but held the Tigers hitless in four consecutive innings to maintain their 1-0 advantage.
The Hawkeyes did not allow a Tiger baserunner in the second and third innings. Massey used three strikeouts to notch half of the outs in the stretch.
Missouri drew a walk to start the bottom of the fourth, but Hawkeye catcher Holly Hoffman caught her stealing second — her fourth toss out of the year — to clear the basepaths. Erickson and Claire Fritsch followed with a diving catch in right field and a ground out at second base, respectively, to end the inning.
Iowa threatened in the top of the fifth inning when Whitney Repole led off with a double — her second in as many games. She moved up to third on a Fritsch sacrifice bunt, but was stranded after an inning-ending strikeout.
The Hawkeyes retired the Tigers in order in the bottom half of the fifth with a Massey strikeout and a pair of groundouts, but Missouri was able to push a run across in the bottom of the sixth. The Tigers led off with a walk and moved their runner to second with a sacrifice bunt. The runner came around to score on a single to left, knotting the contest 1-1.
After Iowa and Missouri traded zeroes in the seventh, the international tie rule went into effect. The Hawkeyes began the top of the eighth with pinch runner Haley Hansel aboard at second base. Fritsch dropped down a bunt for a single, moved up to second on the play, and advanced Hansel to third. Missouri recovered, using a ground out and fly out to end the Iowa scoring threat.
Missouri began the bottom of the eighth with a runner on second, moved her to third with a sacrifice bunt, and used a single through the right side to end the game in walk off fashion, 2-1.
Massey (0-3) took the loss in the circle. She struck out a season-high seven batters and held the Tigers to four hits in her 7.2 innings pitched.
Fritsch led the way for Iowa offensively with her second-straight 2-for-2 performance at the plate. Erickson and Repole each went 1-for-3, while Erickson picked up the lone Hawkeye RBI.
The Hawkeyes continue Getterman Classic action with a pair of games tomorrow. Iowa is set to face UAB at 12:30 p.m. (CT) and No. 14/16 Baylor at 5:30 p.m. (CT).