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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Eight Hawkeyes combined for 10 hits as the University of Iowa softball team defeated Ohio State, 4-2, on Sunday afternoon in the series finale at Buckeye Field.
“It was nice to see us put up a few more hits up today,” said UI head coach Marla Looper. “It looked more like the Hawkeye team that we have seen the past few months. We continued to fight, scrap, and claw, and eventually we got on a roll. We also took care of the ball defensively. It was nice to see that fight come back today.”
Lea Thompson was 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Brooke Rozier was 2-for-4. Cheyenne Pratt, Kaitlyn Mullarkey, Allie Wood, McKenzie Schneider, Claire Fritsch, and Mallory Kilian also chipped in hits. Allison Doocy earned the win, throwing seven strikeouts in 7.0 innings pitched.
The Hawkeyes took the lead in the second inning. Wood singled through the left side, advanced to second on a Schneider sacrifice bunt, and scored as pinch hitter Kilian singled to second base.
Ohio State (30-14, 13-7 Big Ten) evened the score in the bottom of the frame on an Emily Clark solo home run over left field before taking the lead in the third inning on a Clark RBI single through the left side.
After two scoreless innings, Iowa re-gained the lead in the sixth. Schneider kicked off the scoring with a solo blast to left field. Fritsch then singled to second base and Pratt singled to left field before Thompson hit a two-RBI double to left field to give Iowa the 4-2 victory.
“When we keep making adjustments, as we did today, we give ourselves a chance to win the game,” said Looper. “We have a stretch ahead of us with non-conference Drake on Tuesday and Northwestern at home next weekend. We have to continue to attack in the box, and we did a better job of that today.”
The Hawkeyes (17-29, 8-12 Big Ten) face Drake in a midweek tilt Tuesday at 6 p.m. (CT) in Des Moines, Iowa.