IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa softball team dropped game two against Minnesota, 6-2, in nine innings on Sunday afternoon at Bob Pearl Field.
Freshman Jaylee Ojo (3-4) got the start in the circle for the Hawkeyes and picked up three strikeouts in the first two innings.
The third inning brought scoring for both teams. Minnesota got on the board first with a solo home run. Iowa responded in the bottom of the inning with an RBI double for sophomore Tory Bennett tying the game at one.
The Gophers took advantage of free passes in the fourth and added a run on a bases loaded walk to take the lead, 2-1. Freshman Jena Young was aggressive on the basepath and came home in the home half of fifth on a Gopher error to tie the game at two.
Both teams were kept off the board in the sixth and seventh to send the game into extra innings. Junior Haley Downe entered the circle in the fifth for the Hawkeyes and kept the Gopher bats at bay until the ninth. Minnesota’s bats came to life in the top of the ninth plating four runs on five hits to take the lead, 6-2.
The Hawkeyes were able to get two runners on in the bottom of the ninth but were unable to bring them around as the Gophers secured the series win.
Iowa finished the game with two runs on eight hits and left 10 runners on.