Lions Clip Hawkeyes in Series Finale

April 24, 2016

By JIL PRICE

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa softball team fell, 11-3, in six innings to Penn State Sunday afternoon at Bob Pearl Field. The Lions outhit the Hawkeyes, who left nine runners on base, 14 to seven to record the series-clinching win.

“Unfortunately, we kind of lost our mojo today,” head coach Marla Looper said. “We had way too many opportunities early that we didn’t take advantage of, and when you let a team linger around, they’re going to take advantage of you.”

The Lions started the scoring in the top of the first inning, pushing across two runs on three hits. A sacrifice bunt followed a leadoff single and Penn State capitalized with a runner in scoring position with a Lexi Knief single to left. An Alyssa VanDerveer double down the left line plated the second run before Iowa could close the inning with a pair of fly outs.

After two scoreless innings, Sammi Gyerman broke up the no-hit bid with a hard single to left center. She came around to score on a Holly Hoffman single to cut the deficit in half, 2-1, after three.

The Hawkeyes added one run in the fourth and fifth innings, but it was not enough to close the gap with Penn State. The Lions rallied for five runs on three hits and an error in the top of the fourth, plated three runs on five hits and one error in the top of the fifth, and tacked on another insurance run with three hits in the top of the sixth.

In the fourth, Iowa saw runners reach first and second on a single by Whitney Repole and a pinch hit walk by Erin Erickson. After a Katy Taylor sacrifice bunt put the pair in scoring position, Kaitlyn Mullarkey capitalized with a hard-hit RBI single.

Hoffman opened the fifth with a walk and was replaced by pinch runner Haley Hansel. Claire Fritsch singled with one away to put Hawkeyes aboard at first and second for Repole, who plated a run with a single to right field to avoid the run rule loss after five and push the score to 10-3.

Penn State (26-18, 13-4) got the run back in the top of the sixth and retired the Hawkeyes (13-32, 3-14) in order to record the 11-3 run rule win after six innings.

Repole led the Hawkeye offense with a 2-for-2 performance at the plate, her third multiple hit game of the season. She was one of three to record an RBI for Iowa, joined by Mullarkey and Hoffman.

Shayla Starkenburg (4-12) was tagged with the loss in the circle. She allowed six runs, four earned, in 3.1 innings. Erin Riding and Elizabeth Wiegand came on in relief for the Hawkeyes.

Iowa continues play next Wednesday at Iowa State. The Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk series contest is set to begin at 3 p.m. (CT).