IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa softball team fell to Purdue, 4-3, in eight innings on Sunday at Pearl Field in the rubber match of a three-game weekend series.
Senior Breanna Vasquez started and finished in the circle, throwing all eight innings with one strikeout, taking the loss.
Junior Nia Carter led the way with two hits for the Hawkeyes. Senior Riley Sheehy, junior Kalena Burns, and sophomores Grace Banes, Sammy Diaz and Denali Loecker each recorded one hit.
Loecker plated two RBIs and Banes added one.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Purdue (21-31, 7-15) was the first to score in the first inning, tallying three runs on a home run.
Iowa (24-30, 3-20) plated two runs in the third to cut into the Boilermaker lead. Senior Kate Claypool walked, and Sheehy followed with a single. The runners advanced to second and third on a single from Carter. Loecker singled through the left side plating both of the seniors.
The teams went scoreless until the bottom of the sixth when Iowa scored. Diaz singled up the middle and freshman Zoe Schulte came in to pinch run. Banes then smacked an RBI double to left center sending Schulte home.
At the end of the seventh inning the teams remained tied, sending the game into extra innings. The Boilermakers registered a run in the top of the eighth.
HEAR FROM HEAD COACH RENEE GILLISPIE
“Bre did a great job going all eight innings, being able to give us a chance to stay in the game. It was tough. Defensively they were solid. We’ve been looking for that all season long. We got some clutch hits when we needed it. I was proud of how they fought and battled.”