Antillon Sends Iowa State Past Rutgers, 5-4

CLEARWATER, Florida – Nychole Antillon got a walk-off RBI-single to take Iowa State past Rutgers 5-4 in eight innings Sunday morning at the Eddie C. Moore Complex. The win meant ISU closed out the Michele Smith Spring Break Tournament with a 3-2 record and are now 16-9 on the season. Rutgers falls to 10-7, seeing its five-game win streak snapped.

ISU found itself in an early 3-0 deficit after the top half of the first inning and required a bottom of the seventh rally to force extra innings.

In a Hole
The Scarlet Knights were the visitors and got to get on the scoreboard first. After a lead-off single by Stephanie Huang, the bases were cleared by Jackie Bates' 2-run home run off Cyclone hurler Brianna Weilbacher to give RU an early 2-0 edge. Jordan Whitney followed the homer with a hit by pitch, and two batters later she was brought home on RBI-single by Rebecca Ellis to make it 3-0 Knights. Weilbacher's day came to an early end, as Stacy Roggentien came in to keep Rutgers off the board for the rest of the inning.

Slater's Shot Leads ISU's Early Rally
Iowa State got right down to business in the bottom of the first as Aly Cappaert drew a two-out walk to set the stage for Lexi Slater, who launched her third home run of the season to center, reducing the Rutgers lead to 3-2.

The Cyclones got their equalizer in the third as Maddie Reese pinged an RBI-single to left-center, bringing home Cappaert at third to tie things at 3-3.

Rutgers Edges Back Ahead
It took until the sixth inning for the scoreboard to be put into use again, but it was Rutgers who got it as Hall drove in her second run of the game with a solo homer to right to put Rutgers ahead 4-3.

After an empty bottom of the sixth for ISU, the Knights went in search of insurance runs and looked in good shape as a single from Chandler Howard and Bates reaching on a hit by pitch gave RU two on with one out. Whitney posted a double to right-center, but Howard's pinch runner, Jacqueline Kott was out on the play to keep the Rutgers lead at one. It would stay at one as Melanie Slowinski grounded out to Slater to end the inning with Rutgers leaving two in scoring position.

Cyclone Speed Helps Tie it Up
Sammie Hildreth drew a one-out walk and ISU brought in Kaila Konz to pinch run for the Cyclone backstop. Two batters later, Cathlin Bingham laid down a bunt single to get a pair of runners on. Cappaert got the big hit as she fired an RBI-single to left-center, with the speedy freshman Konz coming around to score and tie things up and force extra innings.

Antillon Sends the Cyclones Home Happy
Iowa State was put under immediate pressure as the installation of the international run rule for extra innings meant Rutgers got a runner on second right off the go. However, Roggentien and the Cyclones handled the situation with ease as she forced a pair of fly balls and got her fifth strikeout of the game to keep Rutgers off the board.

ISU put Slater on second, but struggled early as a Reese groundout and a Kelsey McFarland strikeout meant the runner was unmoved with two outs. However, ISU's freshman third baseman Nychole Antillon rose to the occasion, firing a line drive to center. The throw by Bates from RU was off-target from home, giving Slater the real estate needed to slide in and secure the Iowa State win.

On Deck
After five weeks on the road, the Cyclones are back home next weekend for a pair of doubleheaders at the Cyclone Sports Complex. Iowa State will host South Dakota on Saturday and Miami (OH) on Sunday, both doubleheaders starting at 1 p.m. with the second game immediately following the conclusion of the first.

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Players Mentioned

Nychole Antillon

Cathlin Bingham

Aly Cappaert

Aly Cappaert

Sammie Hildreth

Kaila Konz

Kelsey McFarland

Maddie Reese

Maddie Reese

Stacy Roggentien

Stacy Roggentien

Lexi Slater

Lexi Slater

Brianna Weilbacher

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