SAN JOSE, Calif. — The University of Iowa softball team swept a doubleheader against CSU Bakersfield and San Jose State University on Friday afternoon on day one of the Silicon Valley Classic.
The Hawkeyes took game one against the Roadrunners, in run-rule fashion, 17-1, before capping off the day with a, 3-2, win over the Spartans.
Junior Devyn Greer and sophomore Jalen Adams each picked up a win in the circle for Iowa.
Sophomore Tory Bennett and junior Rylie Moss each recorded five hits in the doubleheader. Bennett finished the day going 5-for-7 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Moss had a perfect day at the plate going 5-for-5 with one RBI and four runs scored.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1
Moss started a Hawkeye rally in the bottom of the second with a line drive up the middle to score senior Brylee Klosterman to give Iowa the early lead, 1-0. Senior Grace Banes and freshman Jena Young followed that with RBI singles of their own to score three more to extend the Iowa lead to four.
Greer kept the Bakersfield bats quiet through the three innings of work. In the bottom of the third, the Hawkeyes tacked on six more runs off six hits including RBIs from seniors Sammy Diaz and Grace Banes, as well as Bennett and Young.
The Roadrunners were able to get on the board in the fourth after a leadoff triple came around to score to make it 10-1. Iowa had a strong response in the home half of the fourth adding seven runs on seven hits. Diaz opened the scoring with an RBI triple to score Bennett. Greer brought home Diaz on an RBI single. After the next three Hawkeyes reached base, freshman Soo-Jin Berry was able to clear the bases with an RBI single and a Roadrunner error to make it, 15-1. Freshman Devin Simon recorded her first hit in the black and gold with a two-RBI double to extent the Iowa lead to 16.
Junior Haley Downe closed out the game in the circle for the Hawkeyes sitting the Bakersfield hitters down in order.
Iowa finished the game with 17 runs on 18 hits with no errors. The Hawkeye pitchers held Bakersfield to one run on five hits.
Game 2
Iowa and San Jose State exchanged baserunners through the first two innings but nothing more than that. The Hawkeyes opened the scoring in the top of the third after Moss and Berry each reached on singles. Greer brought them both home on an RBI single to left field to give Iowa an early, 2-0, lead.
The Spartans were able to tie the game at two in the bottom of the fourth on a two-out RBI double. Iowa had a response in the top of the fifth to retake the lead on a single off the bat of Berry to score Banes.
Adams sat the Spartans down in order in the fifth and sixth to preserve the Iowa lead. San Jose managed to get one on in the seventh but Adams shut the door to close out her fifth complete game of the season.
The Hawkeyes finished the game with three runs on nine hits with no errors. The Spartans were held to two runs on eight hits and had no errors.
NOTABLES
- Game one was Iowa’s second run-rule victory of the season.
- The 17 runs scored against CSU Bakersfield was the most runs scored by Iowa since Feb. 18, 2012, where they beat Iowa State, 26-5
- Eight different Hawkeyes recorded an RBI on the day.
- Junior Tatianna Roman recorded her 100th career hit in game one.
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes will return to action on Saturday Mar. 8 for day two of the Silicon Valley Classic with a doubleheader against Santa Clara. The games will be played at 2:30 and 5 p.m. CT at the Santa Clara Softball Stadium. Both games will be streamed on ESPN +. (subscription required)