The Iowa softball team kicked off its 2012 season against five teams at the Getterman Classic in Waco, Texas. The Hawkeyes went 3-2 on the Baylor campus.

Iowa took on No. 7 Baylor, Arkansas, Belmont, Wichita State, and Texas-Arlington over the weekend. The Black and Gold fell to Baylor and Arkansas but rebounded and defeated Belmont and Texas-Arlington in back-to-back games.

Iowa began the weekend with an 11-run rule win over Wichita State on Feb. 10. The Hawkeyes scored 11 runs in the first three innings and held on to close the game early after five frames.

The Hawkeyes fell to Baylor, 4-0, later that evening, despite a complete game from sophomore pitcher Kayla Massey. But the pitching by Baylor All-American hurler Whitney Canion was too much for Iowa’s cool bats to handle.

The squad got a taste of being on the opposite end of a five-inning rule the following day when they faced the Razorbacks. Arkansas scored 9 runs in the first inning against the Hawkeyes. Iowa loaded the bases twice in the first inning but couldn’t capitalize on the juiced plates and lost, 10-2.

Iowa finished the weekend with wins over Texas-Arlington and Belmont. Massey pitched a 4-hit shutout for the Black and Gold in a 1-0 win over Texas-Arlington. The squad then completed its third five-inning win of the weekend when they beat the Bruins, 8-0.

Iowa will travel to Tempe, Ariz., next weekend to compete in the Littlewood Classic. The Hawkeyes will begin the weekend when they face Illinois State on Friday.

— by Ben Ross