Following a no-hit shutout, the Iowa softball offense rebounded as one Hawkeye stood strong, leading the team in a three-extra inning battle in game three against Washington on Sunday afternoon at Bob Pearl Field.
First-year Mariah Myers recorded hits in her first three at-bats Sunday, finishing 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Her double in the bottom of the sixth sparked a rally for the Hawkeyes to tie the game and force extra innings. Myers recorded the game-tying run off a single from teammate Devin Simon.
Myers is one of nine freshmen to this season’s roster, and she has already begun to make her impact this season both offensively and defensively.
“She is super talented, and I think she is starting to crack the surface of her potential, and it’s exciting to see her offensive fight,” Iowa head coach Stacy May-Johnson said.
The Fort Dodge, Iowa, native has appeared in all 31 games this season for Iowa, racking up 20 hits, nine walks, and three home runs in 77 at-bats. Defensively, Myers has been a key first baseman, adapting as the season continues.
“It’s all mindset, it’s how you come back from failure,” Myers said. “I have tried to work on the mental part rather than the physical and mechanical part as I try to be the best I can every game.”
Iowa was always the dream, plan, and hope for Myers at the collegiate level. Being a fan since she could remember, Myers worked through high school pursuing her dream to be a college softball player. She was even awarded the Iowa state Gatorade Player of the year in 2024-25.
“There is no one else I would want to play with,” Myers said. “I worked so hard to come here, and now that I am, I just want to play like I have all my career.”
To her coaches, Myers has been a key addition, slowly working her way up the batting order as she gains confidence and consistency with each at-bat she takes.
“Hopefully, we can one day get her into the meat of the lineup after she builds some trust with the coaching staff,” May-Johnson said. “She will eventually end up there, but she has to keep getting better and grinding.”
But to her teammates, Myers has become a trusted player for not only fellow freshmen but also veterans as well. Her skills as an athlete have made her seem like a player beyond her years to some.
“I have the utmost confidence in her,” fourth-year Avery Jackson said. “Every single time she is at the plate or on first base, I know she has my back, and I truly don’t see her as a freshman because of the level she plays at.”
As the Big Ten schedule moves along with a trip to the Pacific Northwest, Myers looks to grow her skills as a college player, both on offense and defense.
“Offense, I want to be more aggressive and hit more strikes that they give me, and on defense, be more vocal as a teammate for my pitchers and defense,” Myers said.
Iowa next plays in Eugene, Oregon, in a three-game series starting on Friday, April 3, against Oregon. The Ducks are 26-9 overall and 7-2 in the Big Ten.