Northern Illinois’ dominant hitting downed the Hawkeye softball team on Sunday in a double-header to conclude the fall season.

By James Geerdes
[email protected]

To conclude Iowa softball’s fall season, the Hawkeyes took on Northern Illinois on Sunday in a double-header.

In the first game, Iowa started strong. Pitcher Kenzie Ihle tore through the top of the Huskie lineup, sitting down their first three batters in order in the first inning.

The offense rolled behind their pitcher, notching 2 runs in the first.

Left fielder Cheyenne Pratt started the Hawkeyes when she lined a single past the third baseman in the first. Iowa’s Ally Wood followed that with a double to left, and teammate Angela Schmeiderer sent a ground ball to second base to score Pratt. With a runner on third and one out, Aralee Bogar laid down a sacrifice bunt to score another runner, making the score 2-0, Hawkeyes.

Iowa’s bats fell silent fast after the fiery first inning. Northern Illinois’ pitcher Tara Thacker zipped through the Iowa lineup, holding the Hawks for six scoreless innings. Thacker filled the zone to hold Iowa to 5 hits and did not give up a walk.

Defensively, Iowa struggled; five errors were the downfall for the softball Hawkeyes.

“Defense was a little rough,” Ihle said. “We had some good moments and some bad moments. We have to take those into off-season to get better for the spring.”

Northern Illinois was able to capitalize on Iowa’s mistakes, putting up 9 runs on only 9 hits and stranding six runners. The Huskies finished the game with a lop-sided 9-2 score.

“Personally, I had a rough defensive outing,” Bogar said. “We need to not get down but also look back on the mistakes we made.”

Game 2 was a different story but had the same outcome. Iowa lead-off hitter Aralee Bogar flashed her speed in the first inning when Huskie pitcher Alex Frenz hit her with a pitch, and she proceeded to steal second and third. Teammate Pratt did not waste the scoring opportunity and sent a ground ball to second to bring home Bogar, putting Iowa on top 1-0.

Northern Illinois answered fast. The Huskies put up a run in the second with back-to-back base hits. The Huskies also enjoyed the third inning; catcher Alaynie Woollard got a hold of a ball for a 2-run homer, putting Northern Illinois up 3-1.

Frenz buckled down after the first inning. She pitched 5.2 innings, holding Iowa to 2 hits. Senior Keegan Hayes replaced her in the circle when Iowa’s Allie Wood sent a double to the wall. Wood then stole third and was knocked home by a single off the bat of Liz DeShields to make the score 3-2, Huskies, at the end of the sixth.

With two outs in the top of the seventh and no one on, the Huskies hit a single and then a double to bring home a run. With a runner on first, Northern Illinois blooped a single into right field to score another, making the score 5-2.

With all of Iowa’s hope riding on a seventh-inning comeback, Huskie pitcher Hayes sat down Hawkeye leadoff batter Alex Rath. With two outs left in the game, Daniella Ibarra worked a walk, and Mallory Killian laced a single to left field to score Ibarra. A pop-out and a ground-out ensued, and Iowa fell to Northern Illinois for the second time to conclude its fall season.

“We have got to be better,” head coach Marla Looper said. “We’re in charge of our own destiny. The way we’re cruising is not going to benefit us in the spring … This off-season is a great time to grow.”

Click below for more photos

[masterslider id=”110″]