ISU Finishes 4-0 Weekend With 5-3 Win Over SDSU

AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State softball team completed an undefeated weekend at the Cyclone Indoor Invitational with a 5-3 win over South Dakota State Sunday afternoon at the Bergstrom Indoor Football Facility. The win takes ISU to 4-0 on the season while SDSU drops to 2-2.

The Cyclones got RBIs from four players, led by a pair from Aly Cappaert, while Katie Johnson came out of the bullpen to pitch 3 2/3 shutout innings.

Big Early Lead
Iowa State got its offense rolling in the bottom of the second inning as Lexi Slater recorded a single and Nycholle Antillon was hit by a pitch. After a wild pitch allowed both runners to advance 60 feet, Cappaert drove them home with a shot to left-center to make it 2-0 Cyclones. Cappaert did not stay on base long as Jorden Spendlove came up next and got her first hit of the season to bring home Cappaert to make it 5-0.

In the bottom of the third, it was Slater and Antillon bringing home the runs. Maddie Reese led off the inning with a triple and Rachel Hartman followed with a walk. Slater sent a long fly ball to the warning track to bring home Reese. On the first pitch of Antillon's at-bat, she fired a shot down the left field line to bring home Hartman's pinch runner, Hayley Womack, to make it 5-0.

SDSU Responds, Johnson Enters
After three strong innings for starting pitch Brianna Weilbacher, things went south as she walked a pair of Jackrabbits, with a strikeout in between. That brought up South Dakota State's designated player Jordyn Sturgeon, who took the first Weilbacher offering over Cappaert and the wall in right to reduce the ISU lead to 5-3.

After walking the next batter, Weilbacher's day was done and Katie Johnson entered. After giving up a lead-off hit, Johnson saw the inning end as Vanessa Kellems lined one to Spendlove, who tagged first base to get ISU out of the jam.

Crisis Averted
From there, Johnson more or less controlled proceedings, but each ensuring inning saw a challenge for ISU to overcome. The fifth saw two runners get on with one out, but Johnson was able to wiggle her way out of it with some help from a runner left early call against SDSU. The sixth saw Johnson hit the Jackrabbits' Cassidy Vlot to start the frame, but ISU was able to ruin SDSU's sac bunt attempt the next batter by getting the force at second base.

In the seventh, Kellems started a really with a base hit up the middle, but that was all the good that came for SDSU as Johnson induced a pair of pop ups and a strikeout to end the game.

Player of the Game
Katie Johnson. Pressed into service from the bench, Johnson was outstanding, picking up the win to improve to 4-0 via 3 1/3 innings of 3-hit ball while striking out three. The sophomore has yet to allow an earned run this season.

On Deck
Iowa State hits the road for the first of five-straight road tournaments. The Cyclones will take part in the Battle at the Beach hosted by Coastal Carolina in Conway, S.C. ISU will play a pair of games against the host Chanticleers and Ole Miss, while also taking on St. Bonaventure. Action starts Friday at 9 a.m. CT against the Ole Miss Rebels.

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Players Mentioned

Aly Cappaert

Aly Cappaert

Rachel Hartman

Rachel Hartman

Katie Johnson

Katie Johnson

Maddie Reese

Maddie Reese

Lexi Slater

Lexi Slater

Jorden Spendlove

Jorden Spendlove

Brianna Weilbacher

Hayley Womack

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Iowa State University Athletics