By Jess Westendorf
The Iowa softball team will close out a six-game home stand against Iowa State in the Cy-Hawk Series at 6 p.m. today at Pearl Field.
The Hawkeyes have won four of their last five games against Big Ten opponents, giving them their first two series wins of the season.
With a solid defense and good pitching, Iowa hopes to add another win to its record, especially against in-state rival Iowa State.
Iowa State comes into the Cy-Hawk Series with a 16-30 overall record after falling to Oklahoma State April 14-15. The Cyclones dropped the first two games in a double-header on April 14 (10-2, 11-3) but managed to pull out a win in the series finale on April 15 (10-9).
The Hawkeyes will have to watch out for Iowa State on base and Sami Williams in general. Iowa State ranks No. 27 in the nation in stolen bases, averaging 1.85 per game. Williams is a viable threat; she comes in as No. 8 in the nation in doubles, registering 15 two-baggers thus far this season.
Since the Cy-Hawk Series has begun, Iowa leads it with a 32-30-2 edge over the Cyclones. Iowa will be looking for a win tonight to avenge the 5-0 loss Iowa State handed the Hawkeyes May 3, 2016.
Going into tonight’s game, Iowa will need to keep to what has been working for it — solid, reliable pitching and consistency at bat.
Pitching
Iowa pitchers have struck out twice as many hitters as opposing pitchers in the past five games, as well as registered a 1.40 ERA compared to a 3.57 ERA for the opposing teams.
Freshman pitcher Allison Doocy has really taken to her role on the team. Against Rutgers, she threw her fourth shutout to take down the Scarlet Knights, 2-0. She also earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors after her 1-hitter and career best 10 strikeouts.
When Iowa has control on the mound, and its pitchers dominate the batters, it produces good results.
At the plate
The key to Iowa’s winning record has been its ability to consistently keep the bats hot and get on base.
Over the last five wins against Northern Iowa, Nebraska, and Rutgers, Iowa has batted .297; its opponents have only batted a pedestrian .229.
Iowa has enjoyed pumping up the stats against opponents in runs (20-11), extra-base hits (9-6), and on-base percentage (.379-.266).
One Hawkeye that Iowa will need to be consistent at the plate is junior Cheyenne Pratt. Over the last 11 games, she has been on fire, hitting .438 (14-for-32) with 5 runs, 1 triple, and 2 stolen bases.
During Iowa’s four-game win streak, Pratt batted .500 (7-for-14), during which she scored the winning run in the second game against Rutgers.
“It’s a Hawkeye State, and we have to keep proving that,” head coach Marla Looper said in a release. “The challenge is not getting too hyped about it and play the game like we know how: Step on the field with the right attitude, and give all the effort you have. To finish this Cy-Hawk series strong would be nice.”
