UI Athletics news release
MACON, Ga. – The University of Iowa softball team won all four of its games this weekend at the MUSB Invitational I. The Hawkeyes posted wins over Army (8-2) and Western Kentucky (8-6) on Saturday to improve their overall record to 7-2.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1
The Hawkeyes beat Army, 8-2, in a contest that saw Iowa record four home runs. The game remained scoreless through two; Braylen Conlon got the starting nod for the Hawkeyes and promptly retired six of the first eight batters she faced.
Avery Jackson gave Iowa its first hit of the game in the top of the third. Tory Bennett followed with her second big fly of the weekend to bring across two for the first runs. After a Devin Simon walk, Mckenzie Leitgen blasted her third round-tripper of the weekend to make it 4-0.
Army cut the deficit in half in the fifth inning on a pair of RBI singles. The Hawkeyes responded by scoring four more in the seventh. Leitgen and Mariah Myers homered in back-to-back at-bats, while Kiara Sipe scored on a double steal and Simon drove home Iowa’s eighth tally on an infield single.
Conlon dealt for three innings, recording a strikeout and two hits. Carly Brewer was credited with the win after entering the circle in the fourth frame. Sereyah Neiss got the save, going 2 1/3 innings, allowing just one hit and collecting a strikeout.
Game 2
Iowa recorded another comeback win in the nightcap, rallying for an 8-6 victory over Western Kentucky.
WKU jumped to an early 4-0 lead in the first inning on a grand slam. The Hawkeyes got one back in the bottom half with a Solo blast from Simon, her third of the season.
The Hawkeyes kept chipping away in the second inning. RBI groundouts by Echo Mattiello and Johnson made it a one-run game.
WKU struck back with a solo shot in the third. The game remained locked at 5-3 until the bottom of the fifth. Mattiello reached on a bunt and moved to second after Johnson was hit-by-pitch. Jackson singled to right, scoring both runners to even the contest.
Iowa took the lead in the sixth when Sipe sent a two-run rocket to center field. The Hawkeyes put on an additional insurance run on the board when Johnson recorded her second RBI groundout of the game. The Hilltoppers scored one in the seventh.
Avery Sapp notched the win, pitching three full innings in relief with three strikeouts.
HEAR FROM HEAD COACH STACY MAY-JOHNSON
“We’re playing better softball; we’re just a more complete team than we were a week ago. Avery Sapp has been deceptive and opponents aren’t really sure what to do against her. She made some good pitches and commanded a lot better this week and the results showed on the field. One of the good things about playing behind is you get good at it. We played behind a little bit last week and that was good experience. Yeah, we gave up the four spot in the first, but we won the next six innings and that is a good offensive team.”
NOTABLES
- Leitgen leads the team in home runs (5) and RBIs (11).
- Neiss recorded Iowa’s first save of the season in the win over Army.
- Iowa’s last 7-2 start was in 2023.
- Simon is 4-of-4 in stolen base attempts.
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes travel to Buies Creek, North Carolina, for the Campbell Softball Tournament. They open with a pair of games on Friday, Feb. 20, against Radford at 9:30 a.m. (CT) and Campbell at 3 p.m. (CT).