AMES, Iowa ? The Iowa State softball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader against Texas Saturday afternoon at the Southwest Athletic Complex. Texas claimed game one, 5-2, and secured the sweep with a 5-1 victory in game two. With the losses, Iowa State's record falls to 10-25 overall and 1-8 in Big 12 play.
Freshman Alyssa Ransom took the loss on the mound in game one, her record falling to 7-14. Freshman Katie Reichling got the loss in the second game, her record falling to 1-7. Texas hurler Lizi Sowers earned the win in game one, while Christina Gwyn got it in game two. UT improves to 22-17 and 4-7 in the Big 12.
Iowa State and Texas played a close game through the first four innings in game one as neither team found the scoreboard. The Longhorns jumped ahead in the top of the fifth inning when Wynter Turner scored on a single by Melanie Jarrett. The Cyclones answered right back with two runs of their own when junior Misty Kimura hit her sixth homerun of the season, scoring Heather McLatchie in the process. The Cyclones took a 2-1 lead going into the sixth inning, but Texas added four in the top half of the frame to take game one, 5-2.
Iowa State had 11 hits in game one and one error, compared to UT's five hits and zero errors. Cary Akins (3), Ashley Killeen (2), Kimura (2), Quade (2), Katie Reichling (1) and Diana Reuter (1) each had hits for the Cyclones. The difference in the game was the 12 runners left on base by the Cyclones.
Texas scored right away in game two when Tina Boutelle hit a home run to center field to lead off the game. The Longhorns added three more in the third inning when Turner hit a home run, scoring Boutelle and Amber Hall. UT led 4-0 after three innings. Texas would soon strike again, scoring in the top of the fourth when Alexis Garcia ran in off a sacrifice foul out to make the score 5-0. The Cyclones scored in the bottom of the seventh inning when senior Ashley Core ran in off a Julia Lindsey double. Texas won game two, 5-1.
“We just didn't get key hits when we needed them,” head coach Ruth Crowe said. “We got some hits, but the difference was Texas's were home runs and ours weren't. “They mentally took us out of the game when they hit their first home run in the second game. We worked hard in the first game and didn't show up at all in the second. We need to work on getting better.”
Iowa State will play host to No. 17 Nebraska on Tuesday, April 20, starting at 3:30 p.m. at the Southwest Athletic Complex.
