Kansas Edges Cyclones, 8-6

STATS

AMES, Iowa – Tori Torrescano led the Iowa State softball team with a 3-for-4 day and three RBIs but it was not enough as Kansas defeated the Cyclones 8-6 Saturday afternoon at the Southwest Athletic Complex. The loss drops Iowa State to 20-21 on the year and 2-8 in Big 12 play. Kansas improves to 29-20 on the season and 2-14 in conference competition.

Iowa State's offense opened for business in the second with an Erica Miller single up the middle followed by Torrescano clearing the bases with her ninth home run of the season, to the batting cages beyond the right field fence, to reduce the Kansas lead to 3-2.

Amandine Habben got a two-out single followed by Katie Harms getting hit by a pitch to bring Heidi Kidwell up. Kidwell hit a low blooper to leftfield that just evaded the Maggie Hull to allow a hard-charging Habben to score and tie the game at 3-3. Sara Davison drew a walk to load the bases and Dalyn Varela did the same to give the Cyclones a 4-3 lead.

Iowa State got back to work in the bottom of the fourth with Kidwell leading off with a walk before Davison reached on an error by third baseman Alex Jones. After Varela advanced the runners via a sacrifice bunt, Miller brought home Kidwell on a single but was thrown out trying to reach second. Torrescano made it 6-3 with a single off of the top of the wall in right field that brought home Davison.

The Jayhawks got right back into it with a single by Mariah Montgomery and a Rosie Hull hit-by-pitch to lead off the top of the fifth. After Lauren Kennewell retired Laura Vickers and Allie Clark, Jones got a bunt single to load the bases. Maggie Hull cleared the bases with a grand slam just over the wall in left-centerfield for her third grand slam of the season and to help restore the KU lead at 7-6.

Kansas got an insurance run in the top of the seventh when Vickers cleared the leftfield wall to expand the KU lead to 8-6.

Kansas posted the first three runs of the game in the top of the first with RBI singles by Montgomery, Rosie Hull and Vickers.

Clark picked up the win for KU to improve to 12-7 on the year. Clark threw four innings in relief allowing four hits and two runs, one earned, while striking out three. The Iowa State loss was charged to Kennewell, dropping her to 2-3 on the season. Kennewell came out of the bullpen to pitch six innings, allowing five hits and five earned runs while striking out three. Rachel Zabriskie was Iowa State's starter, throwing one inning while allowing six hits and three runs with one strikeout.

The Cyclones will continue conference play next weekend with a pair of home games against No. 16 Baylor. The Cyclones will celebrate senior day before the first game of the series, next Saturday at 2 p.m. CDT. The second game will be Sunday at noon CDT.

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Players Mentioned

Sara Davison

Amandine Habben

Amandine Habben

Katie Harms

Katie Harms

Lauren Kennewell

Lauren Kennewell

Heidi Kidwell

Heidi Kidwell

Erica Miller

Erica Miller

Tori Torrescano

Tori Torrescano

Dalyn Varela

Dalyn Varela

Rachel Zabriskie

Rachel Zabriskie

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