Cyclones defeat Purdue in first game of NISC
Iowa State senior Emma Hylen pitches during the Iowa State vs Kansas game on May 3. The Cyclones defeated the Jayhawks 3-2.
May 16, 2019
In their first game of the Women’s National Invitational Softball Championship (NISC) Iowa State defeated the Purdue Boilermakers by a score of 6-1 on Thursday.
“I thought we were pretty crisp and I thought our mindset was good,” said softball coach Jamie Pinkerton. “We had timely hitting, hit well with runners in scoring position and had good pitching and good defense.”
Before playing the Cyclones, the Boilermakers had to beat the South Dakota Coyotes in extra innings by a score of 4-3 earlier on Thursday.
Iowa State got the bats going in the bottom of the first inning as junior shortstop Sami Williams scored off an RBI single by sophomore designated player Talyn Lewis.
Purdue tied the game in the top of the third inning as Jenny Behan hit an RBI double.
However, the Cyclones recaptured the lead in the bottom of the third as Williams hit her second double of the game and scored her second run of the game, this one coming off of an RBI single by senior center fielder Taylor Nearad.
Iowa State held a 2-1 lead going into the fourth inning.
In innings four and five, the Cyclones scored four runs off of RBI singles by junior left fielder Hannah Carter, senior catcher Kaylee Bosworth and right fielder Sydney Stites as well as one run off of an error.
Williams hit three doubles which is tied for the most in school history among many former Cyclones, and she now has 21 doubles in a season which broke the previous record 20 doubles in a season, which she set her freshman year.
“I was looking for something good, something I knew I could hit well and looked for my pitch,” Williams said. “They left it there so I took advantage of that.”
The Cyclones went into the bottom of the sixth inning with a 6-1 lead over the Boilermakers.
Purdue wasn’t able to generate any more offense and Iowa State won 6-1.
Senior Emma Hylen made the start in the pitcher’s circle for Iowa State.
Hylen pitched a complete game, allowing one run, off of five hits and had four strikeouts en route to her 16th win of the season.
The Cyclones will face the South Dakota State Jackrabbits at 1 p.m. on Friday at Cyclone Sports Complex.
“We need to keep making adjustments when necessary and keeping things simple, that’s going to be the key to making it through this regional,” Hylen said.
