March 24, 2006

Box Score

IOWA CITY, Iowa - A three-run second inning helped lift host Iowa (14-12) to a 5-0 victory over Loyola (4-15) tonight in the opening day of play at the Hawkeye Classic. The Rambler offense was able to muster only three hits off of winning pitcher Brittany Weil, with two of those base knocks coming from junior center fielder Tara Miller.

Loyola had plenty of scoring chances throughout game, despite having only three hits. The Ramblers put runners in scoring position in five of the seven innings but were unable to scratch out a run, mostly due to Weil picking up strikeouts when she needed them. She finished with 13 punchouts.

Iowa scored all of the runs it would need in the second inning as second baseman Erin Riemersma stroked a two-run single that scored Rachel West and Quinn Morelock to give the Hawkeyes a 2-0 lead. Stacy May later drove in a run on a groundout to put Iowa on top, 3-0 after two innings of play, and the Hawkeyes would go on to add insurance runs in the third and sixth innings.

Miller went 2 for 2 with a stolen base for her third multi-hit outing of the season. Freshman outfielder Courtney Sullivan recorded the Ramblers' only other hit, a one-out single in the second inning. Freshman right-hander Krista Crosson was saddled with the loss despite keeping the Ramblers in the game. She allowed only two earned runs in 5.0 innings of work, while picking up three strikeouts.

Loyola continues play at the Hawkeye Classic at noon tomorrow when it faces Ball State.