After a thrilling 1-0 win for the Hawkeye softball team on Friday, Ohio State bounced back in Game 2 of a three-game set as the Buckeyes prevailed, 10-0, on Saturday.

With ace Allison Doocy on the hill for the Hawkeyes, things fell apart early. Just one out into her start, Doocy had given up 5 Buckeye runs.

Doocy’s woes continued into the second, where she allowed a three-run homer before recording an out and exited the ball game after giving up 8 runs in just one inning.

“They’re a great team,” Iowa head coach Renee Gillispie said. “Every time we bring the ball up in the zone, they wreak havoc on that. It was one or two pitches here or there for Doocy. She’s a strong pitcher and she’ll be back for us tomorrow.”

While Iowa’s pitching was much worse than usual on Saturday, the Hawkeyes’ hitting was all too similar.

They mustered just 2 hits throughout the game and didn’t get anybody across home plate.

The biggest disappointment offensively came in the bottom half of the second inning when the Hawkeyes had the bases loaded with no one out and failed to score.

Ineptitude on both sides caused the game to be over in just five innings, marking the Hawkeyes’ second slaughter rule loss in conference play.

With Saturday’s game in the books, Iowa has just one scheduled game left this season: a series-finale against the Buckeyes on May 5.

Iowa currently has sole possession of 12th place in the Big Ten, which is the final spot for the upcoming Big Ten Tournament.

It’s either clinch a spot in the tournament or go home for the Hawkeyes, and it all comes down to May 5’s game.

“We just need to keep the energy up,” Miranda Schulte said. “Having everybody up and being on the same page as a team.”

When Iowa settled down, it rode Erin Riding’s solid relief effort, and even though it still failed to score, Riding held Ohio State to just 2 runs in the four innings she pitched.

For the Hawkeyes, there is nothing to be overly anxious about, as they control their own destiny.

Michigan State has officially been eliminated from contention in the Big Ten Tournament, and Iowa still has a one-game lead over Maryland.

A win would seal Iowa’s place in the tournament next weekend, while a loss doesn’t necessarily disqualify it.

If Iowa loses, and Maryland wins its next contest — the Terrapins will face a 39-11 Michigan squad that has already beat them twice — then it would go to a complex tie-breaker scenario, as Maryland and Iowa have not gone head-to-head this season.

Winning is easier for Iowa, but coming into the weekend, the Hawkeyes knew they had to win one to put themselves in decent position.

“We really wanted to win one of these games,” pitcher Sarah Lehman said. “So, it’s good we got one [on Friday].”

That could prove to be all the Hawkeyes need, but they will make sure at noon on May 5 at Pearl Field on the team’s Senior Day.

“We are striving for a great game [May 5],” Gillispie said. “Hopefully that will take us into the Big Ten Tournament.