Iowa State Softball Falls in Double-Header vs. UMKC

AMES, Iowa - The Iowa State softball team dropped both games of a double header to UMKC, Wednesday afternoon at the Southwest Athletic Complex. The Kangaroos outlasted ISU 6-2 in game one and finished the sweep with a 7-2 victory in game two. Erica Martinez went 4-of-7 at the plate to lead the Cyclone offense, but saw her team fall to 13-15 overall this season. The win improved UMKC's overall mark to 19-19.

The Cyclones got on the board first in game one as Kelly Wardein singled to bring home Heather McLatchie in the bottom of the third. UMKC finally got to ISU starting pitcher Erica Martinez in the top of the fifth. The Kangaroos took the led with a three-run inning in the fifth and then expanded its margin adding two runs in the sixth and a single run in the seventh. Prior to the fifth inning Martinez had held UMKC scoreless on just two hits, but two costly errors in the fifth allowed UMKC to stay alive and score three runs.

ISU threatened to get back in the game in the bottom of the seventh as Julie Lindsey tripled down the right field line to get on base with one out. Martinez double to score Lindsey, but Lindsey Herrin went down on strikes to end the game.

Martinez took the loss to go to 6-8 on the year after giving up six runs on eight hits. The junior struck out eight and issued just one walk in the loss.

In game two the Cyclones were once again the first to get on the board, notching a single run in the bottom of the first. UMKC tied the game behind a solo home run by Crystal Vega in the top of the fifth. ISU's Jen Bice had held UMKC scoreless on just one hit prior to the home run, but she was able to regain her composure and force the next three UMKC batters to ground out to end the fifth allowing just one run to score.

The game remained a tie heading in the final stanza, but UMKC put the game out of reach, recording six runs to go up 7-1. In the seventh inning scoring explosion the Kangaroos recorded all six runs on four hits with the biggest blow coming on a grand slam by Kari Thurman.

Lindsey kept ISU's hopes alive with a lead off double down the left field line. One out later Martinez was able to drive Lindsey in with a double of her own to cut UMKC's lead to 7-2. Unfortunately for Cyclone fans, Jill Dolan was able to secure the Kangaroo win forcing the final two Cyclone batters into ground outs. Bice finished the afternoon allowing seven runs to score on six hits and falls to 7-7 this season on the mound.

Iowa State will play its fourth game in three days as they travel to Northern Iowa for a single game on Thursday. The intrastate battle will begin at 3 p.m.