The Iowa softball team snapped its three-game win streak, falling to No. 4 Nebraska in Lincoln over the weekend. The Hawkeyes were swept in all three games by the Cornhuskers, two of which were ended via run-rule. With the impending weather, both teams agreed to play a doubleheader on Friday and the series finale on Saturday.
“We got down, and that’s not a team we want to play from behind against,” Iowa head coach Stacy May-Johnson told HawkeyeSports. “They’re tough, and they’re going to compete for a national championship. We had to be clean in every facet to beat them.
Friday’s game one went as poorly offensively as it could for the Hawkeyes, losing in six innings to a score of 9-1. Iowa’s only run would come in the opening inning with lead-off batter, third-year Devin Simon, reaching on a hit-by-pitch. She walked easily across home plate just shortly after, with the help of fourth-year Tory Bennett doubling to the left field corner.
But for Iowa, that would be the only run scored and players on base as the Hawkeyes would be retired in order the following five innings, with the only exception as fourth-year Avery Jackson reaching on a hit-by-pitch to start the sixth. The top of the lineup then recorded three strikeouts to end the frame.
Nebraska’s fourth-year Jordy Frahm pitched a complete game, striking out 11 of 19 Hawkeye batters. But for Iowa, the pitching was not even in the same ballpark. First-years Braylen Conlon and Carly Brewer shared the circle in game one for the Hawkeyes. Combined, they faced 33 Cornhuskers, giving up 13 hits and four walks.
Game two was Iowa’s best chance at getting a win, thanks to an excellent outing from fourth-year Serayah Neiss. The senior Hawkeye pitched her own complete game, holding the Cornhuskers to only five runs off eight hits, three walks.
But the Hawkeye bats still could not find life, only scoring two runs in the top of the first with a two-run RBI single from first-year Mariah Myers. Iowa did do a little better at the plate in the following innings compared to game one, fighting as much as it could to get on base. In the fifth inning, Simon fought off six straight consecutive in her 10-pitch at-bat, only to eventually go down looking as the Hawkeyes lost, 5-2.
Iowa looked to maybe play an upsetter in Saturday’s game three, similar to its series with Indiana. But the Hawkeyes offense this time found no life at all.
The Cornhuskers would shut out the Hawkeyes, 13-0, in five innings Saturday afternoon to sweep the series. Iowa’s pitching would be the downfall in game three, giving up six runs in the first inning alone.
The Hawkeyes used all four of their pitchers Saturday, with third-year Avery Sapp earning her 12th start in the circle this season. But her outing was one she may hope to forget, as she would walk the lead-off batter on four straight balls, give up a single, a two-run RBI double, another four-pitch walk, a three-run home run, and another double before being taken out for Brewer.
Brewer’s performance was not much better, as she would also start with a walk on her opening batter on four straight pitches and give up another run on an error from shortstop Devin Bowman.
She would only give up a solo home run in the second before allowing a single, another four-pitch walk, and a three-run home run in the third.
Conlon would take her chance at the Nebraska lineup, having her own struggles similar to her two previous Hawkeyes, and Neiss would finish the game for Iowa in the fourth. The Hawkeyes allowed 10 hits to the Huskers, who improved to 40-6 overall and 20-1 in the Big Ten.
Despite the three losses, the Hawkeyes return to Iowa City looking to try and stay inside the top 12 in the Big Ten standings to be in this year’s Big Ten Tournament. Iowa is 25-25 overall and 6-15 in conference action.
Iowa will have a midweek showdown at Bob Pearl Field with Northern Illinois on Wednesday, April 29, at 5 p.m. with coverage from Big Ten Plus. The Hawkeyes’ home series finale against Purdue begins Friday, May 1, at 6 p.m.