IOWA CITY, Iowa — Three Hawkeye home runs lifted the University of Iowa softball team to a 5-3 victory over Wisconsin on Sunday at Pearl Field. Iowa picked up the series sweep after winning both games of a doubleheader on Saturday.
The win gives Iowa its first Big Ten series victory this season and moves the Hawkeyes' record to 18-17 overall and 4-4 in Big Ten play.
Wisconsin opened the game with two runs in the first inning. The Badgers leadoff hitter doubled to left before a walk put two runners on. The pair eventually scored on a single to left by Melanie Cross.
Senior Allie Wood stepped to the plate as the leadoff hitter in the third inning for the Hawkeyes and sent a long ball over the fence in right center to put Iowa on the board.
Three at-bats later, freshman Aralee Bogar tied the game with a homer over the center field fence. The home run was the first of Bogar’s career.
“I didn’t see the ball any more, and when I realized it went over I was ecstatic,” said Bogar. “I’ve never hit one over the fence before. It was a great feeling and it was even better because I could do it for my team.”
With the game knotted at two runs in the fifth inning, Cross hit another RBI single to left to give Wisconsin the 3-2 advantage.
The bottom of the sixth began with sophomore McKenzie Schneider reaching base on a hit by pitch and advancing to second on a Bogar single. Senior Angela Schmiederer stepped to the plate as Iowa’s third batter of the inning and knocked her first home run of the season over the left field fence.
“Every time you get to round the bases and get a high five from Coach Looper is amazing,” said Schmiederer. “Jumping on home plate with all of my teammates surrounding me felt so good not only for myself but for my teammates as well.”
Sophomore pitcher Allison Doocy (11-8) collected the win. She allowed three runs on nine hits and threw six strikeouts in the contest. The Ankeny, Iowa, native tossed 18 strikeouts in two games against the Badgers this weekend.
NOTABLES
- Three Hawkeyes hit home runs in the contest, including Allie Wood, Aralee Bogar, and Angela Schmiederer.
- The last time three Hawkeyes hit homers in a single game was April 6, 2016 when Iowa defeated Purdue, 10-3.
- Wood leads the Hawkeyes with 17 RBI. She has three home runs this season.
- Bogar’s home run was the first of her career.
- After pitching 18 strikeouts against Wisconsin, Doocy is now third in the conference with 147 total strikeouts.
- This is Iowa’s first Big Ten series sweep of the season and its first since sweeping Nebraska last season (April 12).
QUOTING HEAD COACH MARLA LOOPER
“I’m excited that we are able to get the job done today. Sweeping a good Wisconsin team is not easy to do. They came out ready to fight today and we knew we would have a tough task at hand. We stepped up, took a couple blows, but we came back and got the knockout punch in the sixth inning.”
RECORDS UPDATE
Iowa: 18-17, 4-4
Wisconsin, 16-16, 2-5
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes travel to Nebraska for a doubleheader on April 10. Game one is slated for 4 p.m. (CT) with game two scheduled for 6 p.m. Both games will air live on BTN.