James Geerdes
It may have been a loss, but Iowa softball’s performance against Texas A&M was stronger than most outings from head coach Marla Looper’s team.
Last season, the Hawkeyes posted a lackluster 19-32 record. This year, although brief, Iowa looks as if it’s starting to turn things around.
The team has accrued a 4-5 record, but errors have cost Iowa in its losses. The team has shown off some strong pitching and hints of offensive sparks through those nine games, though. Those traits, both the good and the bad, showed on Feb. 17 against sixth-ranked Texas A&M.
With sophomore hurler Allison Doocy on the mound, the Hawkeyes demonstrated they can compete with the top teams in the nation.
“Everyone was ready,” Doocy said. “We all knew it was a big game. During warm-ups, we were all focused. We were ready to attack the pitchers, go after that first strike, and get hits right away.”
Iowa jumped on top in the top of the third inning. A single up the middle off the bat of Cheyenne Pratt which was followed with a single from Danielle Ibarra. Allison Bogar tagged on another single to load the bases, and an Aggie error plated Pratt.
A&M came right back in the bottom of the inning. A bunt was followed by a walk and a fielder’s choice to load the bases. A passed ball scored an Aggie to tie the game at 1.
Iowa scored again in the fifth when a Bogar single scored Ibarra. But A&M responded in the sixth when two infield singles and two Iowa errors plated an Aggie runner.
With one out in the seventh inning and the score tied at 2, Aggie Tori Vidales connected with a Doocy pitch and sent it over the left field wall for a walk-off home run. It may have been a loss, but Iowa had every opportunity to win the game if not for errors.
“We had opportunities offensively to put the game further along, and we didn’t,” Looper said.
“It’s just executing. Those games are going to be in our hands at times, and every time we’ve stepped on the field so far, we’ve gotten better. That game was proof that we can be on the field with anybody in the country, and the next step will be to control some of those controllables, so then we win that game with anybody in the country.”
The team is showing something new — grit. Last season’s squad never had a top-25 upset and was mercy-ruled by No. 3 Florida, No. 5 Minnesota, No. 7 Washington, and unranked Illinois, Missouri, and Drake.
“I think every team is different, and every year is different,” Center fielder Allie Wood said. “This year, we mesh a lot better, and we’re for each other a lot more. There’s no slack in the lineup right now. Everyone’s pulling her weight and doing her part.”
Parts are still being put into place, but Iowa softball seems to be turning some kind of corner this season.
“Defensively, we have to be a little cleaner. We had way too many errors this weekend,” Looper said. “Most of them are things we can fix, which is good. We clean that up, and then our offense keeps doing what it’s doing, I think that sets us up real well for California in a few weeks.”
The team will return to action March 2-4 with games against Stanford, Cal State Fullerton, Cal Poly, Louisiana-Lafayette, and Baylor.
