Iowa State Softball Goes 1-1 in First Day of Troy Cox Classic

LAS CRUCES, N.M. - The Iowa State softball team went 1-1 Friday at the Troy Cox Classic in Las Cruces, N.M. The Cyclones defeated Texas A&M-CC, 2-0 and fell to New Mexico State, 11-5.

Adi Blackmon was 2-of-4 at the plate as Iowa State shut out Texas A&M-CC, 2-0. The Cyclones scored its two runs in the top of the fifth inning. Freshman Rainey Eanes led off the inning with a single to center field. Catcher Mindy Ogan reached on an error advancing Eanes to second base. Ames, Iowa, native Molly McNertney was brought in to pinch run for Eanes. McNertney scored on an RBI single by freshman Ashley Core to give ISU a 1-0 lead. Ogan stole home to give Iowa State a 2-0 edge.

Core had one hit and one RBI, while Eanes and Amberly Lessenger each contributed a hit for the Cyclones. Woodward, Iowa, native Jen Bice (1-2) recorded the win for Iowa State giving up four hits while fanning four in 7 innings.

New Mexico State pounded out 13 hits enroute to a 11-5 victory over Iowa State. The Aggies took an early 4-0 lead going into the bottom of the first inning.

ISU answered back scoring one run in the bottom of the first. Laura Browning singled and advanced to second base on a sacrifice hit by Kelly Wardein. Erica Martinez singled to left field to score Browning.

The Aggies scored one run in the top of the fourth. Lizette Olivares singled to third base. Olivares stole second and advanced to third on a Christina Munoz single. Melissa Briggs singled to center field to score Olivares to give New Mexico State a 5-1 lead.

The Cyclones scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Martinez reached on an error by Aggie shortstop Heather Nobbe. Lauren Cathey walked advancing Martinez to second. Lessenger grounded out advancing Martinez to third and Cathey to second. Martinez and Cathey scored on an Ogan RBI double to make it a 5-3 ballgame.

New Mexico State added three more runs in the top of the fifth. Amber Mosher doubled to center field and advanced to third on a Nobbe single. Amanda Thurmond reached on a fielder's choice advancing Nobbe to second base. Mosher scored as Tiffany Ruiz reached on an error. Thurmond and Ruiz scored as Ryon Adams reached on an error to expand the Aggie lead to 8-3.

Iowa State scored one run in the bottom of the fifth. Pinch hitter Julia Lindsay was hit by the pitch and advanced to second on a single by Wardein. Lindsay scored on an RBI single by Cathey to make it a 8-4 ballgame.

The Aggies added another run in the top of the sixth. Melissa Briggs reached on an error and advanced to second on a Nobles single. Briggs scored on a single by Nobbe to expand the lead to 9-4.

The Cyclones added one more run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Lessenger tripled to right field and scored on an Ogan ground out.

New Mexico State scored two runs on one hit in the top of the seventh inning. Adams singled and advanced to second as Olivares reached on an error. Briggs grounded out advancing Adams to third and Olivares to second. Adams and Olivares scored an error to make it a 11-5 ballgame.

Martinez (0-1) took the loss for ISU, allowing four runs on four hits in 2/3 innings. Senior Kristin Ferguson allowed seven runs on nine hits in 6 1/3 innings. Ogan was 1-of-2 with three RBI, while Martinez had two hits and one RBI. Browning, Wardein, Cathey and Ogan each contributed a hit.

The Cyclones (3-4) continue play tomorrow in the Troy Cox Classic. ISU takes on No. 20 Oregon at 9:30 a.m. and Houston at 6:45 p.m.