IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa softball team fell to the Wisconsin Badgers, 10-5, on a gusty Friday afternoon at Pearl Field.
Sophomore Denali Loecker got the start in the circle for the Hawkeyes throwing 2.1 innings and taking the loss. Senior Breanna Vasquez threw 4.2 innings in relief striking out four.
Sophomore Brylee Klosterman was 2-for-3 with a solo home run for Iowa. Junior Kalena Burns and sophomore Amber DeSena each tallied two RBIs for the Hawkeyes.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Badgers started off with a three-run first inning after two hits and an error. They added another two runs in the second inning with a home run. Wisconsin tallied two more runs in third on one hit and an error.
Iowa got its first run of the game on the Klosterman solo home run in the third. Wisconsin scored a run in the top of the sixth off a solo home run.
The Hawkeyes scored four runs in the sixth inning. Klosterman singled, junior Nia Carter singled, Loecker reached on a fielder’s choice and Burns singled, scoring two runs scored after an error. Senior Riley Sheehy drew a walk and DeSena singled scoring both runners.
Wisconsin added two insurance runs in the seventh with three hits and one error.
HEAR FROM HEAD COACH RENEE GILLISPIE
“We need to clean up our defense. We gave up a lot of walks and errors. We need to do a better job of working around their leadoff hitter. She was player of the year in the Big Ten in 2019 and we need to do a better job of getting her out. Brylee did a great job in the leadoff spot for us, Burns came in the pinch-hit situation and came up with a big hit, and Amber had those RBIs. I think that they are seeing the ball well, and I liked what they were able to do in the sixth inning to be able to come back and start a rally.
“It’s a fun job to have with 30-mile per hour winds to try to catch a fly ball. They did a great job of staying on it, but there were a couple that dropped that I thought we should have had. With the winds swirling like they were today, and we are going to have some more tomorrow, we just have to stay with it.”
NOTABLES
- Iowa moves to 16-11 on the season and 0-1 in Big Ten play
- The home run by Klosterman was her first of the season and third of her career
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes return to action Saturday for game two of the series at 2 p.m. (CT).