The Iowa softball team went 1-4 while competing in the DeMarini Invitational in Fullerton, Calif., this past weekend and fell to 8-9 on the season.

Iowa lost its first game on March 4 against No. 14 Standford, 2-1.

The Hawkeyes won their second game of the day, taking down tournament host Cal-State Fullerton, 5-1, thanks to a grand slam from Liz Watkins in the third inning.

“This was a good effort all the way around,” head coach Marla Looper said in a release. “We did a nice job hopping on them in the third inning, we strung some hits together, and Liz came up and did a nice job putting the bat on the ball and driving it over the fence in right field.”

Upon returning to the competition on March 5, Iowa lost to 10th-ranked California, 6-2, and to Indiana University of Purdue University Fort Wayne in a 4-0 shutout.

The Hawkeyes also fell to Murray State, 7-2, in extra innings on Sunday. The Hawkeyes and Racers were tied 2-2 at the end of the sixth inning, but Murray State scored five runs in the eighth inning off of Kayla Massey.

The Hawkeyes will next compete in the Stetson Classic in DeLand, Fla., on Friday.

— by Molly Irene Olmstead