The Iowa softball team faced off with in-state rival Iowa State at Bob Pearl Field in Iowa City on Tuesday, silencing the Cyclones in a shutout.
After dropping the first game against the Cyclones in Ames, the Hawkeyes got revenge this time around, winning, 5-0. Three takeaways from the midweek contest push the Hawkeyes into the final stretch of the season.
Another dominant outing for Jalen Adams
The Hawkeyes threw their ace Jalen Adams in the rivalry game, and she was dominant per usual. Adams went the distance, giving up just two hits and allowing zero runs. Adams also struck out seven Cyclone batters and walked just one.
Adams didn’t allow a single runner into scoring position. One baserunner was wiped away, though, caught stealing by catcher Desiree Rivera, and another was erased on a fielder’s choice.
Adams pitched at an extremely efficient rate, throwing just 88 pitches, 58 of them being strikes. The Hawkeye third-year also induced six fly-outs and seven groundouts as she lowered her season earned run average to 2.06.
Two big at-bats
Iowa’s runs were scored in bunches as the Hawkeyes took a 1-0 lead on a sac fly from Tory Bennett in the third inning before they rolled through two innings without recording a hit.
In the bottom of the sixth, Iowa loaded the bases with two singles from Bennett and Hannah Lindsay and a walk from Soo-Jin Berry. The Hawkeyes decided to pinch-hit for Avery Jackson, bringing Jaylee Ojo off the bench and to the plate. Ojo got a 3-2 pitch and smashed it over the centerfield wall for a grand slam to extend the Iowa lead to 5-0. The Hawkeyes maintained that lead to shut out the Cyclones.
Plate discipline leads to Iowa success
Iowa hitters have struggled mightily with strikeouts as of late. The Hawkeyes saw the ball much better on Tuesday, striking out just three times as a team. Iowa also walked three times. The Hawkeyes posted just five hits but did an excellent job of putting the ball in play and making the most of their opportunities.
All five Iowa hits came from different players with Ojo leading the way with four runs batted in on her grand slam.
“Our goal is to always play perfect, fundamental, defensive softball,” head coach Karl Gollan told HawkeyeSports. “Pitching in a way to where we can pick and choose our battles in the lineup and then put together enough runs offensively that we can close the deal — tonight was probably our best example this year of doing that, and it’s always nice to do it against an in-state rival. It’s a big one for us, and I think it’s going to suit us well going into the end of the season.”
Up next
Iowa returns to action on Wednesday, April 30, to take on another in-state opponent: Northern Iowa. First pitch is set for 5:30 pm at Bob Pearl Field and will be streamed on Big Ten Plus.