Iowa softball opened its 2023 season with a 4-1 record at the FAU Classic in Boca Raton, Florida, last weekend.

The Hawkeyes took down Loyola, 3-1, and Bethune Cookman, 8-0, on Feb. 10 behind the bats of freshman Tory Bennett and senior Nia Carter. Iowa’s win over Bethune Cookman lasted just five innings as the Hawkeyes earned a big lead early in the contest.

On Saturday, the Hawkeyes took down No. 23 Mississippi State, 2-0, then fell to host Florida Atlantic in extra innings, 4-3.

Fifth-year senior pitcher Breanna Vasquez said she noticed a difference in the Hawkeyes’ approach to their first road trip compared to last year’s squad.

“I feel like this year, we’re all playing super loose,” Vasquez said. “A lot of us have a chip on our shoulder, so we all came out ready to play. It was so exciting to get that win [over Mississippi State], and it gave us some good momentum.”

Despite losing to the Owls on Saturday afternoon, the Hawkeyes rebounded on Sunday morning with a 5-0 win over Stony Brook.

Iowa head coach Renee Gillispie praised her team’s mentality as they bounced back from a close loss the previous night.

“They didn’t miss a beat,” Gillispie said at media availability on Feb. 14. “It was like they had short term memory. They went right at Stony Brook and did what they needed to do to win.”

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Iowa’s pitching rotation stepped up in a big way over the course of the Hawkeyes’ first road trip this season.

Freshman pitcher Jalen Adams was credited with the victory over Bethune Cookman but took the loss against Florida Atlantic. The Fort Dodge, Iowa, native allowed three hits and walked one batter through over twelve innings pitched in three appearances.

Vasquez earned two victories on the weekend over Loyola and Stony Brook. The Central Florida transfer recorded a 0.58 ERA through 12 innings pitched in two appearances.

Gillispie praised her pitchers’ efforts over the weekend, as the pitching staff tallied an average ERA of 0.61 throughout the weekend.

“Jalen did a fantastic job this weekend, especially for her first outing as a freshman,” Gillispie said. “It was great to see Jalen and Bre really going the distance. Those two pitchers have really stepped up, and they’re taking leadership by getting close to being ready to pitch full seven-inning games.”

Looking forward

 The Hawkeyes travel to Raleigh, North Carolina, this weekend to participate in the annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

Iowa kicks off the competition with a 2 p.m. showing against host North Carolina State on Friday. The Hawkeyes will alternate contests between the Wolfpack and the Syracuse Orange throughout the weekend, including two matchups on Saturday and a game against the Orange on Sunday morning.