The Iowa softball team (26-21, 8-8) was swept by Big Ten-leading Indiana (34-15, 14-2) in Bloomington, Ind., over this past weekend, dropping the first game of the series, 3-1, on April 30 and getting shut out Sunday in a 5-0 loss.

Iowa couldn’t get anything going on offense, recording just three hits in the two games.

The April 30 game saw the end of senior Stephanie Ochoa’s 14-game hitting streak and junior Katie Keim’s 10-game streak. Sophomore Johnnie Dowling hit her fourth home run of the season, but it was one of just two hits for Iowa in the game. Freshman pitcher Kayla Massey took the loss, dropping to 12-10 on the season. Indiana pitcher Morgan Melloh baffled Hawkeye hitters, striking out nine batters in the complete-game win.

Melloh was even better the next day, coming within one out of a no-hitter. Ochoa recorded a two-out single in the seventh inning for Iowa’s first hit of the game. Melloh struck out 14 Iowa batters.

Sophomore pitcher Chelsea Lyon suffered the loss for the Hawkeyes; she allowed five runs on six hits in 42⁄3 innings. She struck out six hitters but dropped to 14-11 on the season.

"We have to get back on the horse," Iowa head coach Marla Looper said in a release. "There are learning points in every game, every outing, every practice. We have to get back on the horse and put it into action."

— by Sam Louwagie