Cyclones split double-header with Creighton

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Photo: John Scallon/Iowa State Daily

Iowa State junior Tori Torrescano digs a ball out of the dirt. Iowa State split the doubleheader with Creighton. Iowa State played Creighton on March 31 in a doubleheader at the Southwest Sports Complex in Ames, Iowa.

Zach Gourley

The Cyclone softball team split a doubleheader with Creighton on Thursday in Ames, bringing its record to 16-11.

In the first game of the day, pitcher Rachel Zabriskie led the Cyclones to a 7-1 victory on her 10-strikeout performance, giving up one run on six hits. Zabriskie, a senior, broke the ISU school record for complete games in a career with her 79th.

Infielder Erica Miller led the way for the Cyclones offensively, going 2-for-3 at the plate with a three-run homer over the center-field wall in the first inning.

“The home runs are just coming right now. I don’t go up there trying to hit home runs, but I’ve been lifting a lot, trying to get stronger,” Miller said. “I’m just trying to put the ball on the bat and put it in play.”

Miller, right fielder Anna Cole and catcher Amandine Habben, the five, six and seven spots in the Cyclones lineup, did the majority of the damage for the Cyclones. The trio combined to go 6-of-9 at the plate with six RBIs.

Cole has only recently garnered starts at right field, but Cyclone coach Stacy Gemeinhardt-Cesler has noticed the lift she brings to the team.

“She is getting more and more comfortable, she has a great approach to the game,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. “She’s fiery, and I just think she’s a fun player to be around.”

If the first game showed the potential of this Cyclone squad, the second game showed its youth.

Iowa State committed five costly errors in a 9-3 loss, giving up seven runs to the Bluejays before getting on the scoreboard themselves.

“When you look out there, it’s all pretty much underclassmen, so mistakes are going to happen,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. “You just have to minimize those as much as you can and see if you can out-hit your mistakes, and we didn’t do that either today.”

Cyclone pitcher Lauren Kennewell picked up the loss, throwing four-and-one-third innings before being replaced by Bree Holliday. Kennewell gave up three earned runs on five hits.

“It seems like we have an issue of when we make a mistake, then we make more mistakes instead of stopping the bleeding,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. “It’s hard to win when you have five errors.”

This weekend, the Cyclones will travel to College Station, Texas, to play two game against Texas A&M.