By Jess Westendorf
Redshirt freshman Brooke Rozier hit a walkoff single to boost the Iowa softball team to a 7-6 win over Northwestern in 11 innings on May 6 at Pearl Field.
Northwestern didn’t waste any time getting started in the game. The Wildcats scored early when Morgan Nelson hit a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Sabrina Panko from third.
Iowa answered after a pitch from the Wildcat’s Nicole Bonds got away from catcher Sammy Nettling. Junior Cheyenne Pratt raced home, tying the game at 1.
In the second inning, the Wildcats regained the lead when Alcy Bush bunted to score Nettling, then a Hawkeye error allowed Anna Petersen to score.
Northwestern led, 3-1, until the bottom of the fifth.
In the fifth, Kenzie Ellis, who had been the designated player, replaced Bonds on the mound, and the Hawkeyes took advantage.
Senior Claire Fritsch hit a leadoff single to left and took third on an error, sophomore Mallory Kilian was hit by a pitch, and Pratt was safe at first when the first baseman dropped the ball on the throw to load the bases with senior Kaitlyn Mullarkey coming up with 1 out.
A passed ball scored Fritsch, Mullarkey was hit by a pitch, and Rozier took first on a fielder’s choice to keep the bases loaded. Northwestern led 3-2 until junior Angela Schmiederer came to the plate.
She blasted a single to left, scoring 2. Ellis tried to throw out Schmiederer advancing but overthrew the second baseman, allowing Rozier to score from third.
When the Pearl Field dust settled, Iowa led, 5-3, its first lead of the game.
The Wildcats took back the lead in a wild sixth.
Petersen drove in Nelson. Brooke Marquez hit a single and scored Nettling, tying the game at 5.
Rabin then drilled a ball into right field to score Petersen, giving the Wildcats a 6-5 lead.
The Hawkeyes didn’t give up.
In the bottom of the seventh, junior Allie Wood hit a fielder’s choice to the shortstop, and Lea Thompson, who had tripled, scored to tie the game at 6 and take it into extra innings.
Both teams got close each extra inning but couldn’t score until the bottom of the 11th.
Thompson drilled a ball down the right field line and reached second on an error, then then took third on a Mullarkey ground out.
Rozier was next up. She hit a sinker that floated and fell behind the shortstop, scoring Thompson with the winning run and tying the series.
After Iowa cleared the bench to celebrate with Rozier, the focus turned to Sunday’s series finale.
“Our young ladies never stopped today,” head coach Marla Looper said. “They didn’t quit. We allowed the other team to play with us some, but we were able to hold them off in the end. … It’s exhausting, but that’s how you always want to leave the ballpark – tired because you left it all on the field. Our team did that today.”