Hawkeyes Fall to Indiana in Doubleheader

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa softball team dropped both games of a Saturday doubleheader to Indiana at Pearl Field, falling 2-1 in the opener and 9-7 in 10 innings in Game 2.

 

Indiana struck first in the second inning, plating a run to take an early 1-0 lead.

The Hawkeyes answered in the bottom of the fourth when Kiara Sipe launched a solo home run to tie the game at 1-1.

The Hoosiers regained the lead in the top of the fifth, scoring what proved to be the game-winning run. Iowa was held scoreless over the final innings as Indiana secured the one-run victory.

Indiana again struck first, scoring two runs in the top of the second inning.

Iowa responded in the bottom half when Mariah Myers led off with a double and moved to third. Echo Mattiello drove her in with a sacrifice fly to put the Hawkeyes on the board.

The Hawkeyes tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth inning. Nailyn Marshall singled up the middle to score Breanna Caffery, who pinch-ran for Leah McAnally after her leadoff double.

Iowa took control in the sixth inning. Marshall walked, Mattiello singled and Devin Bowman reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases. Avery Jackson was hit by a pitch to bring in a run, and Tory Bennett followed with a bases-clearing triple — her second career triple. Sipe added an RBI single to cap a five-run inning and give Iowa a 7-2 lead.

The Hoosiers rallied in the seventh, scoring five runs to tie the game. Indiana then added two runs in the 10th inning to secure the win.

HEAR FROM HEAD COACH STACY MAY-JOHNSON
“We had a lot of opportunities to win these games; we’ve just got to close it out,” head coach Stacy May-Johnson said. “There are little things we need to do, but that’s the margin. We’re playing close ball games and losing close ball games. We need to figure out what we need to do differently, and we will end up on the right side of these games.”