After pitching four innings and her team down one run against Iowa, NIU softball pitcher Kathy Dearborn said she was feeling good.

Last spring Dearborn managed to lock down Iowa’s bats. The senior went 10 1/3 innings, in the scheduled seven-inning game, and gave up five hits. But the last hit was a two-run walk off home run to Iowa’s Kylie Murray.

However, NIU softball coach Donna Martin felt that Dearborn’s time was up, and put in junior hurler Paige Granath.

“It was the coach’s discretion,” Dearborn said. “I was feeling good, thought I had good movement and didn’t feel like I was losing as much speed as in previous games. But I was hanging my change.”

After tossing a three-hit shutout against Valparaiso on Tuesday, Granath didn’t have the same results against Iowa.

Down 3-2 in the top of the fifth inning, Granath gave up two singles before the Hawkeye’s Emily Nichols cracked a three-run homer to extend their lead to four.

“She pitched real well [Tuesday],” NIU coach Donna Martin said. “She earned her opportunity and we brought her in to slow their bats down. Kathy wasn’t fooling the top of their order today.”

Iowa’s one through five hitters collected 10 hits in 20 at-bats and six of its team’s eight RBIs on their way to an 8-2 win.

“This game’s about pitching and defense,” Martin said. “You can give up four hits and win a game. Today we didn’t field, pitch or throw as well as we can.”