Despite trailing in all three games against Iowa, IU swept the Hawkeyes to start Big Ten play.
The three wins against the Hawkeyes was the first sweep to begin conference play for the Hoosiers since 1997.
In the series opener Friday night, freshman pitcher Tara Trainer went the distance and struck out 12 batters as the Hoosiers (20-10, 3-0 Big Ten) used a four-run first inning to win 5-3 over the Hawkeyes (8-19, 0-3).
IU took the lead in the bottom of the first with the help of three bases-loaded walks and an RBI single from senior catcher Kassi Farmer.
After allowing a run in the opening frame and a two-run home run in the third, Trainer didn’t allow a hit over the final four innings.
She finished the game allowing three hits and three walks.
“We had to play come-back quite a bit (this weekend), but we were able to do it,” Gardner said. “Our hitting looks good. It was just a team effort all the way around.”
On Saturday afternoon, freshman pitcher Josie Wood pitched a complete game of her own. Despite losing an early 1-0 lead by allowing a run in each of the second, third and fourth innings, the Hoosier still won.
After tying the game at 3 with a two-run homer from junior first baseman CaraMia Tsirigos in the fifth inning, IU had six consecutive Hoosiers reach base. They would go on to score six runs in the inning, and IU won 9-3.
In Sunday’s series finale, Trainer and Wood split pitching duties as the Hoosiers staged their largest comeback of the weekend. Trainer gave up a three-run homer in the second inning, but IU answered with a big fourth inning.
IU got a single run back in the third on an RBI groundout by sophomore outfielder Rebecca Blitz. An RBI double from senior outfielder Shannon Cawley got the scoring started in the fourth, and she came around to score on a single by Blitz that gave the Hoosiers the lead.
Iowa tied up the game in the top of the fifth, but a four-run bottom half of the frame gave IU the lead.
Freshman utility player Sarah Galovich led the way for IU from the ninth spot in the lineup, with a pair of RBIs. Farmer also collected two doubles in the 10-5 win.
“It’s really nice just to show everyone that we’re ready to play,” Blitz said. “We’re going to be a force to be reckoned with in the Big Ten this year.”
Blitz leads the team with a .389 batting average and went 7-12 during the weekend. The speedy center fielder also stole her 17th base of the season Sunday.
IU will be host to No. 2 Michigan for three games next weekend. The Wolverines are currently 24-3 and reached the NCAA national championships last season.
“I don’t think it’s going to be easy by any stretch of the imagination,” Gardner said. “But I think if we put a whole game together, we could do some really good things.”
