Iowa softball picked up a pair of wins in a three-game series against the Michigan State Spartans over the weekend. The Hawkeyes now sit at 4-2 in Big Ten conference play.
Game one for the Hawkeyes — setting the tone for her strong weekend — was fueled by pitcher Jalen Adams’ no-hitter in a 4-0 win. Adams threw a complete game for Iowa, going all seven innings. Adams struck out two Spartans and only walked one batter all day.
“I don’t think you have to change [how you coach] — you just have to consistently have her out there in big games, and you saw in both games she was able to get shutouts in one weekend,” Iowa head coach Renee Gillispie said. “That’s huge for a pitcher to be able to do. The first game she just came out dealing. With the defense behind her, she did a great job of locking down that first game.”
Game one of the series was scoreless until the bottom of the fifth inning, where the Hawkeyes would pick up three runs.
First-year Soo-Jin Berry’s RBI single in the bottom of the fifth got Iowa on the board. Immediately following Berry, Sammy Diaz scored two more Hawkeyes on an RBI single.
Iowa recorded one more run in the bottom of the sixth inning after a Rylie Moss RBI single. In total, Iowa recorded nine hits, four runs, and no errors.
Game two
In game two of the series, the Hawkeyes battled in a tough loss to the Spartans by a score of 8-2.
First-year Jaylee Ojo got the start on the bump for Iowa, going 6.1 innings. Ojo, who noticeably struck out nine Spartans, struggled with consistency and walked a total of six.
The Spartans got their first lead in the first inning and held onto it for the rest of the game. Michigan State seemed to be finding all of the right gaps and took advantage of free bases. Michigan State finished the game with eight runs on eight hits.
Iowa’s two runs on the day came from left fielder Tory Bennett in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Hawkeyes finished the game with two runs on four hits and no errors.
Gillispie reflected on what the Black and Gold needed to improve upon in the final game of the series.
“We had several walks, six stolen bases — you just can’t win that way,” she said. “So we just focused on locking down the ball and understanding that the ball is the only thing that can control this game.”
Game three
Good pitching and defense fueled the final game of the series. Adams got the start in that contest, going all seven innings. Adams struck out three, recorded two walks, and allowed seven hits on the day in the 1-0 win.
Both teams showcased stellar defensive performances, keeping the game tied at 0-0 until the bottom of the seventh inning.
First-year Jena Young continued to add to her Hawkeye legacy by recording a triple in crunch time. Immediately following her, Berry secured the win by hitting an RBI single up the middle, scoring Young.
Adams picked up her ninth win on the season and held the Spartans to a .152 batting average in two complete games. Iowa finished the game with one run, eight hits, and no errors.
Iowa will face the Drake Bulldogs on double-header Tuesday at Bob Pearl Field, first pitch set for 4:00 p.m.
