Iowa Softball sweeps the Terrapins in College Park

Iowa Softball traveled to College Park, Mayland, to take on the Maryland Terrapins in an important weekend series. The Hawkeyes were scuffling heading into the weekend. The Hawkeyes had lost four of the last five games, including a heartbreaking 2-1 loss against Illinois State in extra innings.

The Hawkeyes started the weekend strong, winning the series' first two games 6-1 and 9-0. Here is how the Hawkeyes dominated the Terrapins.

Game One

The Terrapins tried to set the tone early in the first game. They retired the Hawkeyes in the first after a quick one-two-three inning. Maryland struck first in the bottom of the inning and led the game 1-0 heading into the second.

The Hawkeyes' offense woke up and did not look back.

A Soo-Jin Berry run-scoring triple got the scoring started for the Hawkeyes. Allysa Ramos knocked Berry in with a double to give the Hawkeyes a 2-1 lead. Iowa loaded the bases and a Jenna Young single and an Echo Mattiello sacrifice fly pushed the Hawkeyes' lead to 4-1.

The Hawkeyes would add two more runs in the fourth inning, and pitcher Jalen Adams shut down the Terrapins offense. Adams (17-5) tossed her 13th complete game of the season with three strikeouts and gave up one run on two hits.

Game Two

The Hawkeyes' offense stayed hot as they scored four runs in the first two innings of game two. They took a 4-0 lead going into the fifth inning.

In the top of the fifth, the Hawkeyes offense would pile on. Iowa loaded the bases, and they were promptly cleared with a Talia Tretton double to give the Hawkeyes a 7-0 lead. Back-to-back run-scoring hits would push the Iowa lead to 9-0 heading into the bottom of the inning.

Trenton silenced the Maryland bats in the bottom of the inning, and the Hawkeyes won game two 9-0 in five innings.

Trenton (7-7) notched her sixth complete game of the season and did not allow a run in the victory.

Series Finale

The Hawkeyes took the series after games one and two and went for the sweep in game three. The bats were silent until the third inning. The Hawkeyes were the first to score in the top of the inning and scored in every inning that followed.

Iowa scored one in the fourth and fifth innings and two in the sixth and seventh innings as the bats stayed hot. The Terrapins would plate one run in the fifth and sixth innings, but could not silence the Hawkeye bats, falling 7-2 in the series finale.

Adams (18-5) got the start for Iowa in the series finale and pitched another complete game. Adams picked up her 18th win of the season, giving up two earned runs on eight hits and striking out four in the win.

The Hawkeyes dominated the weekend series, outscoring the Terrapins 22-3 and out-hitting them 28-12. Iowa (25-15, 7-6 Big Ten) travels to Ames, Iowa, on Tuesday, April 15, for a rivalry game against the Iowa State Cyclones.