Softball drops pair of tight battles at University of Iowa

IOWA CITY, Iowa – St. Thomas softball (21-9) battled tremendously against Power Four foe, Iowa (21-10) in pair of tight games at Bob Pearl Field on Tuesday afternoon. Iowa City native, Ella Cook, and Ava Kleinfeldt each pitched completed games and Morgan Klein smashed her fourth home run of the season in game two.

Game One
Iowa capitalized on a pair of Tommie errors on a single play in the bottom of the first inning to jump out ahead, 2-0. That lead lasted until the bottom of the fifth when they tacked on two more on two hits.

The Toms were held off the scoreboard and out of the hit column until the top of the sixth when Zoe Trotter doubled to deep left field and then scored on a Cassidy Carby single to center.

Cook worked a scoreless sixth to give her side a chance to come back in the top of the seventh. Unfortunately, the Hawkeyes held the Toms off the scoreboard to secure the 4-1 victory.

Ella Cook went six innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits, three walks, and two strikeouts in her return to her hometown.

Game Two
The latter half of the nonconference doubleheader got off to a much better start for the Purple after a 1-2-3 bottom half of the first worked by Ava Kleinfeldt. Morgan Klein went yard with two outs in the top of the second to give the Tommies their first lead of the series.

That lead got the Toms into the fifth inning. Avery Wukawitz led off the fifth with a double and Zoe Trotter moved her to third on a single. Cassidy Carby walked to load the bases and then Ella Cook just barely got under the ball and skyed it to right center field for a sacrifice fly. Iowa worked out of the jam only allowing the one run.

The Hawkeyes took advantage of a one out error in the bottom half of the frame for one run and then earned a run with a steal of home in a runners-on-the-corners situation to tie the game.

St. Thomas retook the lead in the sixth inning on a Ruby Moore double to score Gracie Konkol from second base. Again, the Toms left a pair of runners on.

The Purple took their one-run lead into the bottom of the seventh but did not exit the game with the win. Iowa drew a leadoff walk on 10 pitches and then earned a double. Kleinfeldt recorded her first strikeout of the game before the Hawkeyes walked it off with a two-run double.

Up Next
The Tommies return home for the first time in 30 games since they clinched the regular season Summit League Championship against North Dakota State last season. The Purple host the South Dakota Coyotes (9-23-1) this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, March 27-29 at South Field.

Follow Along
For any and all information pertaining to the St. Thomas softball team, follow along on Instagram and X (formerly known as Twitter) at @TommieSoftball.

Softball drops pair of tight battles at University of Iowa

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Team Stats

Zoe Trotter

Cassidy Carby

Maddy Freking

Kameron Monson

Players Mentioned

Cassidy Carby

Ella Cook

Morgan Klein

Ava Kleinfeldt

Gracie Konkol

Ruby Moore

Zoe Trotter

Avery Wukawitz

University of St. Thomas Athletics