Iowa will head out on the road to face Illinois.
By Mario Williams
The Iowa softball team has only notched three Big Ten wins, 10 outside conference play. As the Hawks head on the road to Champaign, Illinois, racking up a few more conference wins should be their goal.
In fact, the Hawkeyes are also 1-13 on the road. A win or two in today’s double-header (rescheduled because of the weekend weather forecast) is not only a must but will hopefully build momentum for the team if it heads to the Big Ten Tournament.
Iowa owns a 21-16 advantage in the all-time series against the Illini. Illinois took 2-of-3 games from the Hawks last season at Pearl Field. The Hawks took the first contest, 15-7, in five innings, before the Illini took the second and third games.
Illinois is 28-19 overall, 7-10 mark in conference play. Seven of Illinois’ players are hitting above .300; sophomore infielder Annie Flemings leads the team with a .353 clip in 47 of Illinois’ games this season. Junior Breanna Wonderly leads the team with a 3.20 ERA and a 12-9 record in the circle.
Lately, the Hawks have had trouble fully executing. Iowa head coach Marla Looper noted she’s hoping that the Hawkeyes can revert to what they were in the fall.
“The story line is that we’ve continued to fight,” Looper said. “As a team, we’ve got to control what we can. That’s our attitude, and that’s our effort and how we approach the game and our process.”
While the team has fought, one player in particular has continued to have success. Redshirt senior Holly Hoffman is hitting .422 in conference play, and in 16 of Iowa’s Big Ten games, she is slugging .846. She has also registered 12 extra-base hits (7 doubles, 1 triple, and 4 home runs) during that time.
The Hawks are tied for sixth in Big Ten play with 48 stoles bases. Iowa’s pitchers have struck out 82 batters this season, which is also the second-most in the Big Ten.
With only seven contests remaining, Iowa is itching and hoping to have some success.
“It’s rough fighting,” Hoffman said. “Especially in games where you’re really hoping for a comeback, and it doesn’t happen. It’s a bit of a letdown, but we win and lose as a team, and we all realize that. It’s tough, sometimes.”
