The Iowa softball team began its home slate on the right foot, sweeping St. Thomas in a double-header at Bob Pearl Field in Iowa City on Wednesday.
The Hawkeyes defeated the Tommies, 3-1, in game one but claimed game two by a slim 1-0 margin with a walk-off in extra innings. Three takeaways from the scraped-out victories including struggling bats but firing arms.
Lack of offense continues
In the last eight games, the Hawkeyes offense has not scored more than four runs. The last time the Hawkeye hitters posted five or more was in a 5-4 victory over Missouri State on March 1.
In game one on Wednesday, Iowa scattered seven hits to score just three runs. Those runs came by RBI singles from Jena Young and Talia Tretton in the third and fourth innings. An RBI double from Allyssa Ramos brought home Avery Jackson to put the Hawkeyes ahead 3-1 in the sixth.
In game two, the Hawkeyes posted just four hits over eight innings and walked twice. On the bright side, no Hawkeye batter went down on strikes as the Hawkeyes also tallied up four sacrifice hits to ultimately edge out the Tommies, 1-0. But slower bats will burn Iowa moving into the trenches of Big Ten play.
Still, Hawkeye fourth-year outfielder Tatianna Roman delivered the game-winning hit in the bottom of the eighth with a ground ball to third. Jackson, who pinch-ran for Tretton as the automatic runner to begin the inning, beat out the throw to the plate to push the Hawkeyes to victory.
The lack of offense has led to mediocre results for the Hawks over the last eight games. Iowa has gone 4-4 in its last eight where it has failed to post more than four runs in each game.
Pitchers dominate
Both starting pitchers for the Hawkeyes went the distance in each game, overpowering the St. Thomas hitters.
Iowa went with its ace in game one — third-year Jalen Adams. Adams has been lights-out all season, posting a 1.05 earned run average in 15 appearances. In her 12 starts, Adams has tossed nine complete games.
Adams again went the distance on Wednesday, allowing five hits and just one run while striking out 10 St. Thomas hitters.
Tretton got the nod in game two, making her 12th appearance for the Hawkeyes. Tretton has been solid all year, boasting a 2.93 ERA with 41 strikeouts while holding opposing batters to a .256 batting average.
Tretton was untouchable in game two of the double-header for the Hawkeyes. The first-year right-hander went all eight innings, giving up just five hits and no runs. She also posted nine strikeouts to match her season-high number. It was also her fourth complete game in 10 starts on the season.
Hawkeyes find consistency with bottom of lineup
In the four-game set in Alabama last weekend, the Hawkeyes struggled to find production from the bottom half of the lineup as it appeared the first four hitters carried the load.
The tide turned on Wednesday as the bottom of the order delivered the clutch hits the Hawkeyes needed to escape with victories.
In game one, Tretton and Ramos, hitting fifth and sixth in the batting order, each delivered with RBI hits to take and extend the Hawkeyes’ lead to 3-1, which was ultimately the final score.
In game two, nobody could seem to get going offensively. Roman, who was batting ninth for the Hawkeyes, came through with a ground ball to score Jackson from third and walk off the Tommies.
Up next
The Hawkeyes will travel to Bloomington, Indiana, to begin Big Ten play. Iowa will face the Indiana Hoosiers in a two-game series beginning on Saturday, March 15. Game one is set to begin at 5 p.m.