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IOWA CITY, Iowa — Freshman pitcher Allison Doocy threw a one-hit shutout as the University of Iowa softball team defeated Rutgers, 2-0, in the series opener Friday night at Pearl Field. This is the third-straight conference win and the fourth-consecutive win overall for the Hawkeyes, who are now 6-6 in conference action.
“Our young ladies a good job tonight. We did not assume that we were going to get a win just because we stepped on the field,” said UI head coach Marla Looper. “We had a slow start with the rain delay, but I think the delay helped us turn it around. After that, we came out and attacked this game. I was proud of the girls. They didn’t quit and they continued to fight.”
Doocy earned the win, throwing a career-high 10 strikeouts and allowing one walk in 7.0 innings pitched.
“Doocy did a good job coming out of that rain delay,” said Looper. “She didn’t start out very sharp, but the break allowed her to regroup and gather herself. She sharpened up her skills and when she got back out there she was throwing solid pitches, and that was nice to see.”
Kaitlyn Mullarkey was a perfect 3-for-3 with a run, Claire Fritsch was 2-for-3 with a run, and Cheyenne Pratt was 2-for-3. Allie Wood chipped in a hit and an RBI, while Mallory Killian also tallied a hit.
After four scoreless innings and a 45 minute rain delay, the Hawkeyes took the lead in the bottom of the fifth frame. Mullarkey singled up the middle and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Wood before advancing to third and scoring on a Rutgers error.
The Hawkeyes extended their lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Fritsch singled to left field, stole second, and advanced to third on a Katy Taylor ground out, scoring as Wood smacked an RBI single through the left side.
“Rutgers is going to come back the next two days and really look to put more pressure on us,” said Looper. “They put pressure on us tonight, but Doocy did a nice job. Tomorrow, we need solid defense, solid pitching, and we have to attack the ball on the offensive side.”
The Hawkeyes (13-23) play for the series win over the Scarlet Knights on Saturday at 1 p.m. (CT). Saturday’s contest is Iowa’s annual Awareness Day. The Hawkeyes will recognize several local organizations prior to first pitch.