By Jacob Miller
After being on the road for the early part of the season, the Iowa softball team finally got to play host this past weekend and got back on track in the process, winning its home début.
Iowa is hosting the Hawkeye Invitational March 17-20. So far, home-field advantage has been huge for the Hawkeyes getting into a groove. They ended their 16-game losing streak March 17 against Valparaiso with a 3-0 victory and got two more wins against South Dakota State, 2-0 and 5-0. Their only loss so far was against Creighton, which went to an extra inning, but the Bluejays held off a Hawkeye comeback and won, 5-4.
The Hawkeyes are finding ways to win thanks to their ability to excel in all aspects of the game. Their pitching and defense this past weekend have been lights out, something that they had been lacking so far this season. Freshman Allison Doocy was a menace in the two games she was in the pitcher’s circle; she tied her career-best 7 strikeouts March 17 against Valparaiso and did not slow down. She topped her career-best Sunday in the second game against South Dakota, in which she tallied 9 strikeouts.
“Doocy had a nice night,” head coach Marla Looper said in a release. “She went right at the hitters and forced them to hit the pitches she wanted them to hit. As a freshman, she knows how to step in a circle and throw a good game.”
It is absolutely critical for Iowa, which has been knocked around this season, to find more and more arms that can give it substantial innings in the circle. If Doocy can keep this up, she will be a real boost to the team.
The Hawkeyes were also able to get some consistency with their offense. They were the first team to score in all three of their victories. They also struck early — scoring in the first two innings of all those contests. Playing at home, scoring first, and strong pitching appears to be the winning formula for the Hawkeyes going forward.
“We are doing the little things, like taking care of the ball defensively and finding the right zone in the circle,” Looper said in a release. “Offensively, we attacked, we executed signals, and we were able to manufacture runs. When we do that, it’s a recipe for success, and we did those things tonight.”
