Hawkeyes Sweep St. Thomas in Doubleheader

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa softball team swept St. Thomas in its double-header on Tuesday afternoon at Pearl Field. The Hawkeyes took game one, 4-1, before walking off the Tommies, 4-3, in game two.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1

The Hawkeyes plated two in the first. Devin Simon walked and Naiyln Marshall followed with a single. With runners at the corners, a sacrifice bunt by Kiara Sipe and consecutive errors scored both runners.  

Iowa struck again in the bottom of the fifth to double its lead. Tory Bennett singled to left field, scoring Marshall and Sipe to make it a 4-0 contest.

The Tommies plated their only run of the game on a single to center in the sixth inning.

Serayah Neiss got the start, recording 1-2-3 innings in the first, third, and fifth. Through 5 1/3 innings pitched, she retired 16 of the 18 batters she faced. She allowed just one hit and one run in her outing.

Game 2
The Tommies struck first with a home run in the second inning.

In the top of the fourth, St. Thomas loaded the bases but were shut down by Braylen Conlon, who entered in relief and struck out the side to keep the deficit at one.

The Tommies recorded another run in the fifth inning, moving the score to 2-0.

In the bottom of the fifth, Phoenyx Silva doubled to right field, scoring one. Avery Jackson pinch ran and scored after a successful double steal attempt, tying the game at two all.

The Tommies add their third run in the sixth frame to take a 3-2 lead.

Down 3-2 going into the seventh inning, Nailyn Marshall got the Hawkeye rally started with a leadoff walk. Mariah Myers followed with a double to put the winning run on second base. With the tying and go-ahead runs on, Brianna Johnson knocked a doubled to left center to secure the win for Iowa.

HEAR FROM HEAD COACH STACY MAY-JOHNSON
“Those were good wins; they’re a tough team. For us to come out 2-0 on our home field, it’s what we expect, but we enjoy these. A day like this is huge. We emotionally get back on track and have a day to feel good heading into a conference series. Our pitching staff, at this point, is the best version of what it's been over the course of the season.”

NOTABLES

• Johnson registered a walk-off winner in two of the last four games.
• Neiss earned both wins in the doubleheader.
• Hawkeye pitching combined for 10 punchouts and a .200 opposing average on the day.
• Bennett and Johnson each posted a .500 batting average and two RBIs over the two games.

UP NEXT: Iowa (21-10) hosts Washington on March 27-29. First pitch on Friday is set for 6 p.m. The series will continue Saturday at 1 p.m. and conclude Sunday at noon. Tickets are $10 for adults, $3 for youth and free for students. Fans can also follow along on B1G+ (subscription required).