In a battle between two of the nation's best pitchers, freshman Ashlee Simon
(Riverside, Iowa/Highand) won the battle. The freshman improved to 24-4 on the season as she struck out seven and held the Sea Gulls, along with three All-American hitters, to just two hits.
Simon wasn't fazed by the stacked line-up the Sea Gulls presented. "I
didn't even realize that they had three all-Americans. I just took each batter as the same. It was a strong lineup one through nine so I
just looked at them all as individuals instead of as three all-Americans," Simon said.
The complete-game shutout was her second of the season. The win moves her to fifth on the single-season wins list, while her seven strikeouts gives her 252 on the year, just the fourth time a Kohawk has struck out over 250 in a season.
Head Coach Bob Timmons was very happy with the performance of his freshman pitcher. "I was very proud of her. A freshman coming in and, as we were just saying, seven strikeouts are par for the course for her, gave up the two hits, but the most important thing, I felt, was that there were no walks. They had to earn it to get on." Timmons said.
On a 2-2 pitch, Salisbury All-American Kelly Waskewicz drove a ball through the left side. It would be the last time the Sea Gulls would tally a hit until the seventh inning.
The only run of the game came in the bottom of the fifth inning. With one out, junior Chelsea Zaugg (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Xavier) singled through the left side on a 2-0 pitch. With a 2-2 count, senior Amy Hanse (Marion, Iowa/Linn-Mar) doubled to right center, plating Zaugg all the way from first base.
Timmons was happy with the performance of his senior first baseman, not just in today's game. "Amy
Hanse has been hitting the ball very, very well for us all season as our senior
first baseman, and she had some good at-bats. She hit the ball hard I think two previous times before she hit that
ball hard (in the fifth inning), and we had a number of chances when we did put
the ball in play with some authority, but it was right at somebody," Timmons added.
The Sea Gulls tallied a hit in the top of the seventh inning, but Simon earned a fly ball and a strikeout to end the game.
Zaugg, Hanse and junior Mackenzie Lang (Urbandale, Iowa/Johnston) each tallied two hits for the Kohawks. Senior catcher Megan Jack (Independence, Iowa/Independence) added the final hit for the Kohawks. Jack stole two bases, while Lang added one.
The Kohawks will face Tufts University at 5:30 p.m. central time Saturday. The Jumbos come in 43-1, while the Kohawks improved to 39-11 with the win Friday.
