The Hawkeye offense was on point, but pitching problems doomed their chances to win.
Wednesday's 9-7 loss to in-state rival Iowa State at Bob Pearl Field was a fitting one for the Iowa softball program.
The Hawkeyes have shown they are far from the Big Ten cellar-dwellers they once were in the mid-2010s, but struggles in big games also show that new head coach Stacy May-Johnson has her work cut out for her.
Iowa's loss drops it to 21-17 on the season. Its now lost six of its last seven games against the Cyclones.
“These losses can be painful, but they can also become powerful learning moments," May-Johnson told HawkeyeSports after the loss. "It gives them a little edge and fire. If we learn and grow from them, then it’s not all negative.”
Here are some numbers that stood out from the defeat:
8: That's how many hits the Hawkeyes recorded on this night. Iowa's lineup stalled through the first three innings before catching fire in the fourth and never looking back. Five different Iowa players collected a hit, with three players - Kiara Sipe, Devin Simon, and Mariah Myers - earning multi-hit games.
2: The Hawkeyes recorded a multi-home run game for the 13th time this season, and they both came at crucial moments. Tory Bennett's three-run blast in the third gave Iowa the offensive boost it needed, and Myers' two-run homer in the following inning tied the game. The Hawkeyes are 11-2 on the year when they have a multi-homer game.
11: The number eight could've been used twice here, but to avoid repetition, we're going to use 11. The Iowa pitching staff struggled to keep Iowa State's offense at bay, recording only three shutout innings. The Cyclones scored eight earned runs (that's where the eight comes in) on 11 hits.
Up Next
The Hawkeyes return to action on Friday, April 10 for a four-game non-conference series at Bob Pearl Field. Iowa will play Georgia Tech on Friday and Saturday, followed by matchups against South Dakota State on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.
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