The Iowa softball team rebounded after being swept by Nebraska over the weekend with a run-rule win in its final midweek game of the year. Iowa defeated Northern Illinois 10-2 in six innings on Wednesday evening.
The Hawkeyes moved to 26-25 on the season, and currently sit tied with Minnesota for the final spot in the Big Ten Tournament with one more series this weekend.
The Hawkeyes played soundly on both sides, with the bats and pitching contributing to the run-rule victory despite two errors.
Junior Avery Sapp got the call to start in the circle for the Hawkeyes, striking out four batters, giving up three hits, and holding the Huskies scoreless through three innings.
Sapp was eventually taken out midway through the fourth for freshman Carly Brewer, and later, fellow freshman Braylen Conlon also saw playing time. Combined, the two newcomers faced 15 total batters, giving up three hits and the only two runs allowed by Iowa.
“They have come a long way, and what they are doing now really shows what kind of ability they have,” May-Johnson said. “Wins are a goal always, but getting them as many innings as possible is also something we have been trying this season, with them being our future.”
Also defensively, Iowa’s left side infielders were locked in from the start. Freshman Phoenyx Silva and sophomore Brianna Johnson made several impactful ground-out plays that helped hold the Huskies scoreless for five straight innings.
Silva made three key plays at third base, fielding hard-hit grounders down the foul line and still making a strong and accurate throw to first.
The highlights of Johnson’s night were a double play to end the fourth, and in the fifth, she made a diving play behind second base and made a glove-flip to her teammate for a lead runner out.
Despite going scoreless in the first, Iowa’s offensive presence at the plate started in the second with an RBI single from Silva. But it was one inning later where the Hawkeye hitters came to life, scoring six total runs, including a rare mistake and rule enforcement.
After Iowa loaded the bases, redshirt sophomore Nailyn Marshall and freshman McKenzie Leitgen brought home two runs on walks, keeping the bases loaded. Following a Husky pitching change, Johnson hit a shallow RBI single to right field.
Still bases loaded and no outs, Silva again walked to the plate, this time hitting the ball over the right-center wall, but instead of a grand slam, Northern Illinois challenged that Silva passed Johnson, who was on first, before the ball cleared the outfield wall.
After a short review, it was confirmed that Silva did pass Johnson earlier than the ball, meaning she was still allotted the three RBIs, but she would be called out and put down for a single and out at first.
“I was more excited about getting the three RBIs for my team, but it sucks not to have that mercy rule earlier in the game; the outcome is still a win,” Silva said.
Though her coach notes it is a good learning moment for not only Silva but the entire team, with a rule that rarely needs to be enforced but is nonetheless a rule.
“We learned something, and hopefully we don’t do it again,” May-Johnson said. “I told her that they can take away the home run, but not the runs, so she still got the job done in the end.”
Despite giving up the two Husky runs at the top of the sixth, Johnson hit a deep double to the left-center field wall, scoring two of her teammates to walk off the game and end in a 10-2 run-rule victory.
“I definitely wanted to be aggressive, which has been something I have been working on with my coach,” Johnson said. “I just need to trust in my ability and process when I come to the plate.”
Up Next
Iowa will face Purdue on Friday, May 1st, through Sunday, May 3, for the final series of the season. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. CST on Big Ten Plus at Bob Pearl Field in Iowa City.
