Final Stats

DENTON, Texas - The UNO softball team lost for the first time this season on Saturday afternoon to Iowa, but didn't go down without a fight, falling 2-1 despite loading the bases in the top of the seventh.

The Mavericks, now 8-1 on the season, fell behind 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning when Iowa's Holly Hoffman hit a two-run double off of Maverick ace Dana Elsasser, who was pitching her second game of the day after throwing a one-hit shutout over Oklahoma State in the morning.

But Elsasser kept the Hawkeyes off the board the rest of the way, and it wasn't until the top of the seventh that the Mavs were able to crack Iowa's senior pitcher Chelsea Lyon. With one out, Ashton Hughes reached on an infield single, then Mara Eeman drew a walk. Tara Trede reached on a fielder's choice to the second baseman, but both Hughes and Eeman were able to advance safely to load the bases for Allie Mathewson. Mathewson singled up the middle to score Hughes to make it 2-1, and the bases were still loaded with one out. But Lindsay Redding popped up to the shortstop and Campbell Ditto grounded out to the shortstop, ending the Mavs' attempt at a ninth straight win to begin the season.

Elsasser (5-1) took the loss, allowing two earned runs on nine hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Iowa (6-2) improved to 3-0 at the tournament with the win. Lyon improved to 3-0 in the circle by allowing just one earned run on four hits and four walks while striking out five.

Mathewson was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Hughes and Molly Negrete had the other hits for UNO, both singles.

The Mavericks (8-1) finish play at the North Texas Lovelace Invitational on Sunday against Dayton at 9 a.m.