Softball Falls to No. 19/23 Minnesota on Senior Day

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa softball team fell to No. 19/23 Minnesota, 12-0, in five innings on senior day at Bob Pearl Field on Sunday afternoon. Six Iowa seniors — Erin Erickson, Sammi Gyerman, Haley Hansel, Holly Hoffman, Jillian Navarrete, and Whitney Repole — were honored by their coaches and teammates following the game.

“Our seniors have been huge,” said UI head coach Marla Looper. “They have grown a lot over these last four years and that’s all you ask for from any of the student-athletes that come in. They didn’t just grow as softball players, but they grew as people too. It hasn’t been easy for any of them, but what they take from here will be greater than being able to throw or hit a ball. I kind of feel like a surrogate mother, you just like to see how they grow up and see how they take the skills they have learned here into the rest of their lives.”

The Golden Gopher offense came out firing, plating seven runs in the top of the first inning. Minnesota recorded seven hits — a double and six singles — and sent 12 batters to the plate to get out to an early 7-0 lead.

Redshirt junior Shayla Starkenburg held Minnesota to just one hit over the next three innings, before the Golden Gophers tacked on five more runs in the top of the fifth. Minnesota used four hits and three walks to extend its lead to 12-0.

The Hawkeyes put runners on in 4-of-5 innings, but could not plate a run. Minnesota junior Sara Groenewegen held the Hawkeyes to just two hits in four innings. Junior Elizabeth Wiegand was credited with the loss, allowing seven earned runs on seven hits and two walks in 2/3 of an inning.

Iowa ends the season with a 13-39 overall record and a 3-20 mark in Big Ten play.