ISU Snaps Skid With Win Over McNeese State

HOUSTON, Texas ? Ashley Killeen broke out of a early season slump, going 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI to lift Iowa State past McNeese State, 6-2, Saturday afternoon at the Marriott Houston Hobby Invitational.

The Cyclones (3-10) snapped a seven-game losing streak by pounding out eight hits and limiting McNeese State (5-12) to just five.

Fallon Johnson drove in three runs after going 1-for-2 with a double and a sacrifice fly. Kristen Karanzias went 2-for-3 and scored two runs in the game.

McNeese State was led by Rachael Phillips, who went 2-for-3 and drove in a run. Jenny Clay hit her second homer of the year in the loss.

Charissa Carlin (1-2) tossed four innings, allowing a run on three hits to pick up her first career win. Katie Reichling threw three innings of two-hit ball to pick up her first career save.

Rachel Hodlik (2-4) allowed six runs on eight hits to get the loss.

The Cyclones got on the board in the bottom of the first as Killeen broke out of a slump with a single through the left side that scored Kristy Olsen. Olsen reached on a walk to lead off the inning, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Courtney Wray and stole third on a walk to Alex Johnson to get into scoring position.

The Cowgirls knotted it up at 1-1 on a homer to right center by Jenny Clay in the top of the fourth.

The tie score didn't last for long as Killeen connected for her second hit of the game, this one a solo homer to center to make it 2-1. The Cyclones tacked on a couple more runs in the inning on a double through the right side that scored pinch runner Whitney Perkins and Karanzias, giving the Cyclones a 4-1 lead after four innings.

After McNeese State cut the lead to 4-2 with a run in the sixth, ISU bounced back to score two runs and increase the lead to 6-2.

The Cyclones runs came as pinch runner Holly Jordan scored on a sacrifice fly from Fallon Johnson and Karanzias came around to score on an error by the Cowgirls, helping secure the Cyclones first win since defeating Mississippi State on Feb. 10.

The Cyclones will play Houston beginning at approximately 4 p.m.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Charissa Carlin

Alex Johnson

Fallon Johnson

Fallon Johnson

Holly Jordan

Kristen Karanzias

Kristen Karanzias

Ashley Killeen

Ashley Killeen

Kristy Olsen

Kristy Olsen

Whitney Perkins

Whitney Perkins

Katie Reichling

Katie Reichling

Courtney Wray

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics