The Iowa softball team dropped its seventh consecutive game Wednesday night with a 9-7 loss to rival Iowa State before a season-high crowd at Bob Pearl Field in Iowa City.
The Hawkeyes climbed back from an early four-run deficit, then came back twice more with help from two hits apiece by Devin Simon, Kiara Sipe, and Mariah Myers, but a late homer from the Cyclones sealed the first game of the Cy-Hawk Series. Iowa has now lost four of the last six Cy-Hawk series games.
The early part of Tuesday’s game was a showing of strong defense by both teams, with two scoreless innings. Third-year Avery Sapp led the Hawkeyes in the circle on defense, only giving up two walks and a hit.
But the scoreless innings did not last long, as the Cyclones would notch four runs in the top of the third. The first two came from Iowa State’s Tatum Johnson, who homered to deep right field, scoring her and fellow Cyclone McKenna Andrews. After a double from Iowa State’s Reagan Bartholomew, Kaden Shepherd knocked another home run, this time off the center field scoreboard.
Needing a way to boost the Hawkeye defense, head coach Stacy May-Johnson turned to the bullpen, replacing Sapp with first-year Carly Brewer. Brewer would then strike out the next two Iowa State batters to close the rough inning, giving Iowa life.
“I just came in to do my job, trying to not to let the moment get too big,” Brewer said. “I tried to stay composed because I knew my teammates had my back with the bats and in the field.”
Following Brewer’s momentum, Iowa clawed its way back in the bottom of the third with a three-run home run by the Hawkeyes’ long ball leader, fourth-year Tory Bennett. Bennett has now earned eight of her nine career home runs this season.
One inning later, first-year Myers joined the party. Myers would drill a two-run homer over the left field fence and toward the road, tying the game at five runs apiece.
“You’ve got to get in there and take your hack, and they did that,” May-Johnson said. “That is why games are tied late in the seventh innings.”
After some small-ball tactics by each team, the two programs would find themselves locked at seven runs each heading into the seventh inning. RBI singles from second-year Brianna Johnson and Sipe forced the tie for the Hawkeyes.
Bartholomew broke the tie with a home run off Serayah Neiss, giving Iowa State a two-run lead. Iowa would end the game with three consecutive groundouts, something May-Johnson hopes to change.
“We gave ourselves a chance and were all over their pitcher, but just had none competitive at-bats, it’s 100 percent a mental problem, and someone needs to step up in those moments,” May-Johnson said. “I have a feeling that we are going to have some extra hitting in practice tomorrow, like we seem to always have.”
Iowa, now 21-17, returns to Bob Pearl Field in Iowa City next weekend for the Dr. Christine Grant Classic with two games against Georgia Tech and two against South Dakota State. The Hawkeyes and the Yellow Jackets will open the weekend on Friday at 5 p.m. on Big Ten Plus.
“I feel like just playing our game, staying within ourselves, and trying not to be too much is the way that we will win those games,” Johnson said. “If we make sure that we do the little things right, I think we will be on the winning side.”