IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa softball team dropped a doubleheader against Northwestern on Saturday at Bob Pearl Field. The Wildcats won the first game, 9-7, and the second game, 7-4.
Freshman Denali Loecker was 5-for-7 on the day for Iowa. Junior Riley Sheehy had three hits in six at bats and drew two walks on the day.
Freshman Marissa Peek was 2-for-4 with four RBIs in the first game.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1
The Hawkeyes got the scoring started with a five-run first inning. Brylee Klosterman drew a leadoff walk, Sheehy singled and Lindy Milkowski singled to load the bases. Loecker singled to the pitcher to score Klosterman. Peek then hit a bases clearing double to plate three runs. Amber DeSena, who was running for Peek, pulled off a double steal with Nia Carter to add one more run.
The Hawkeyes would add another run in the second inning after Klosterman singled and was brought home on a Milkowski double. Northwestern would answer with a run of their own in the third after a pair of singles and a fielders choice. Iowa would add a run in the fourth with a Sheehy single and a run-scoring single by Peek.
Northwestern got three runs back in the fifth inning on back-to-back home runs. The Wildcats scored five runs on a series of singles and doubles in the sixth to pull ahead.
Game 2
Northwestern would score four runs on a hit by pitch, three singles, a double, and a triple in the third inning to start the scoring in game two. The Wildcats would add three more in the sixth off of two singles, a fielders choice, a hit batter, and a wild pitch.
The Hawkeyes scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth. Loecker singled, Banes was hit by a pitch, DeSena reached on an error, and Carter doubled to bring two runs home. Klosterman singled through the right side scoring two more runs. Ultimately the Hawkeye rally came up short and the Wildcats would take the game.
HEAR FROM HEAD COACH RENEE GILLISPIE
“I thought Sheehy had a good two games, she was hitting well in both games. Banes had some good hits. Klosterman had a good first game for us. Denali came through in this game for us. She was joking about being a singles hitter now, we said ‘we don’t care how you get on’. She wants those home runs, but you do what you have to do. Marissa had some good at bats.”
“We have to work on being tougher with not giving away big innings. That is what you saw in both games today. I thought the pitchers were doing a good job but when we get errors behind them it is tough to come back from. That is what you saw, when we had an error and would have been out of the inning, then we go four more batters after that, three more runs on the board. That will get to a pitcher.”
NOTABLES
- Lehman pitched her 10th complete game of the season; She led the Big Ten coming into the weekend.
- Carter recorded her ninth multiple hit game of the season in game two.
- This was Peek’s first multiple RBI game, she matched Loecker for the team high in single game RBIs this season.
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes finish the series against Northwestern on April 18 at noon.
