3 Home Runs Propel Iowa to 10-3 B1G Win

April 3, 2016

IOWA30

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Three home runs lifted the University of Iowa softball team to a 10-3 victory over Purdue on Sunday afternoon at Bob Pearl Field. With the win, Hawkeyes improve to 9-21 overall and 1-5 in Big Ten action this season.

“I’m proud of them,” said UI head coach Marla Looper. “Our challenge to them today was to continue to attack early, play solid throughout, and then finish. We did that today. All of our pitchers combined to throw a good ball game.”

Allie Wood paced the Iowa offense with a 2-for-3 effort at the dish. The sophomore hit a pair of home runs in back-to-back at-bats and led the team with five RBIs. Her two home runs matched a career high (Northwestern, 5/3/16). Redshirt senior Holly Hoffman plated three runs for the Hawkeyes, going 2-for-4 with a single and a double. Senior Erin Erickson also homered in the contest.

“I was really trying to zone in on certain pitches today,” said Wood. “I’ve been consistently struggling, so this was nice. This weekend was good. It’s great to get this first Big Ten win. Hopefully we can use this win to keep rolling.”

Wood put the Hawkeyes on the board with one swing in the bottom of the second. Sophomore Angela Schmiederer led off the inning with a double to left center, before Wood sent a two-run blast to center field to give Iowa a 2-0 lead.

Iowa tacked on to its lead in the third. Three straight singles from sophomore Claire Fritsch, redshirt junior Sammi Gyerman, and Hoffman started the inning. After a fielder’s choice, Wood sent her second home run of the game — a three-run shot — to center field to extend Iowa’s lead to 6-0.

Purdue got one back in the top of the fourth on a pair of singles and a double. The Boilermakers plated two more runs in the top of the sixth on five hits to pull within three, 6-3.

The Hawkeyes came right back, plating four runs in the bottom of the sixth. Erickson started the inning with a solo home run to left center. Sophomore Sarah Kurtz followed with a single up the middle — her second hit of the day — and advanced on a wild pitch. With a runner on second, senior Whitney Repole capitalized on her pinch-hit at bat with an RBI single to right.

Junior Kaitlyn Mullarkey kept the rally alive, reaching on an error by the Purdue left fielder. After a walk by Gyerman, Hoffman sent a two-run double to left center to secure the 10-3 victory.

Hoffman, Wood, and Kurtz all had multiple-hit games for Iowa, while eight different Hawkeyes registered a hit. Every spot in the Iowa lineup reached base successfully.

Elizabeth Wiegand (5-6) was credited with the win. She allowed one earned run on seven hits and struck out one in four and 1/3. Freshman Erin Riding gave up a pair of earned runs on five hits. She struck out two in an inning and 1/3. Freshman Mallory Kilian (1/3 inning) and redshirt junior Shayla Starkenburg (1 inning) held Purdue scoreless in relief.

The Hawkeyes return to action on Wednesday, April 6, with a doubleheader at Nebraska. Game one is set for 4 p.m. (CT) with game two following at 6 p.m.