Cyclones’ softball host No. 10 Tigers
Photo: Nicole Wiegand/Iowa State Daily
Iowa State shortstop Lexi Slater comes in to score followed by first baseman Erica Miller for two of the Cyclones’ three runs following a Tori Torrescano double versus Texas on Saturday, March 24, at the Southwest Athletic Complex. The Cyclones lost the second of a three-game series to the fifth-ranked Longhorns by a score of 7-3.
April 26, 2012
The ISU softball team will host No. 10 Missouri for the final time this season before the Tigers’ departure to the Southeastern Conference.
The Cyclones (14-30, 2-13 Big 12) will try and rebound after a 1-2 series loss against Kansas on April 20-22.
“I think we played great on Saturday,” said coach Stacy Gemeinhardt-Cesler. “Well I mean we had a great comeback Saturday, which was good. Sunday I hoped that we learned that no matter what we do the game before, we have to come out and play every game.”
In the lone win against Kansas, the Cyclones mounted its biggest comeback since the formation of the Big 12 after falling behind 6-0, then again 8-3, before scoring seven runs in the fifth and sixth innings to ultimately win the game 10-9.
“I think we learned [from Kansas] that if we come out ready to play, we can obviously compete with anyone,” said first baseman Erica Miller. “We also learned that we can come back in games.”
Iowa State’s next foe will be No. 10 Missouri (34-10, 11-7 Big 12), which, as a team with an ERA of just 1.67, boasts the second-best pitching staff in the Big 12.
“They lost a lot of seniors last year, but it doesn’t look like it’s slowed them down much,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. “They are very good, and the pitching staff is very good.”
The top pitcher for the Tigers is junior Chelsea Thomas, who has accumulated a 1.35 ERA and only given up two home runs through 16 conference games.
“They have pretty good pitching with Chelsea Thomas,” Miller said. “It’s nice that she’s my age so I kind of know what she’s throwing by now.”
Missouri holds the 51-31 all-time series lead against Iowa State and won both games last year against the Cyclones by a combined score of 16-3.
“We definitely just have to stay up and just focus inning by inning and not look as much at the whole game or the whole big picture,” Miller said. “Compartmentalize inning by inning and at-bat by at-bat and keep adjusting through the whole game.”
This series marks the final time Iowa State will face Missouri in the Big 12 conference and also marks the second-to-last home game of the season for the Cyclones as well.
“Pitching has been improving, we’re getting better at keeping the ball in the park as well so hopefully we stay on that path,” said junior pitcher Tori Torrescano. “And then offensively just making the adjustments and having good at-bats.”
Action is set to begin at 4 p.m. Friday at the Southwest Athletic Complex.
