Cyclones set to take on Drake
Photo: Rebekka Brown/Iowa State Daily
Pitcher Tori Torrescano pitches to Texas A&M opponent Meagan May while Natalie Villarreal looks to steal third during Firday afternoon’s double header against Texas A&M at the Southwest Athletic Complex. The Cyclones fell to the Aggies 1-6.
April 9, 2012
The ISU softball team is set to travel to Des Moines to face in-state rival Drake for the final time this season.
The Cyclones (12-24, 1-8 Big 12) will try to build momentum after their recent 2-1 upset victory against No. 14 Texas A&M.
“I thought that, really, Tori [Torrescano] threw well,” said coach Stacy Gemeinhardt-Cesler. “I thought that she looked confident, which she should be. I talked to her before the game about how much confidence I had in her. But it really doesn’t matter what I’m thinking, it matters what she thinks.”
In the upset win, Torrescano threw all seven innings only allowing three hits and one run.
“Tori just did phenomenal,” said ISU designated player Sara Rice. “I think Tori has what it takes to pitch a great game. Sometimes she has it and sometimes she doesn’t, and today she had it.”
While Torrescano was in the circle pitching, her teammate Rice ended up being the hero of the game as she hit the RBI double in the bottom of the fifth, scoring a run that gave Iowa State the lead for good.
“That was amazing,” Torrescano said of Rice’s double. “She had been having great at-bats all day and she was just seeing the ball.”
The Cyclones will next face Drake (16-19, 8-4 MVC), who they have already faced twice this season, losing 9-0 in the preseason and winning 1-0 on March 28.
In the win against the Bulldogs, sophomore ISU pitcher Taylor Smith threw seven scoreless innings while only allowing three hits in the shutout.
“I think the big thing is I go back to last weekend against [Texas] Tech on Sunday,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. “I thought we competed really well there and did a great job. And Creighton was a good game, so I think it’s coming we just need to keep on building off of what we’ve been doing and just go forward.”
After a six-game win streak that lasted from March 17 to 25, Drake has regressed and is currently on a three-game losing streak, having lost five of its last eight.
“I think we just have to remember we can compete with everyone,” Torrescano said. “We competed with Tech, we competed a few games against Texas and we finally beat A&M. These are good teams, our conference has really good teams, so it says something when we play right with them. So we just have to remember that into our nonconference games.”
Action is set to begin at 4 p.m. Tuesday in Des Moines.