Two wins, a no-hitter and four home runs. Not too bad for a club team only months old.

The Iowa State Baseball Club took to the field for the first time competitively since joining the National Club Baseball Association (NCBA) in September and split a pair of weekend doubleheaders with Nebraska.

In the first game, club president Jake Reichling smacked two home runs and Tony Kruse went 3-for-5 with four RBI to lead the Cyclones over Nebraska 11-4 in the first game of the series Saturday. Kurt Boettger went the distance for Iowa State on the mound and struck out 10 to lead the way defensively.

“Kurt pitched great,” Reichling said. “The only home runs he gave up were B.S. home runs because the field was so short. … Both home runs would have been outs at other places.”

The game marked the first intercollegiate competition for an ISU baseball squad since the varisty sport was eliminated two years ago. After several months of playing within the club, the team chose to officially join the NCBA last fall. The Central Plains Conference was formed with Iowa State, Nebraska and John Brown University.

“It was real nice just to be out there,” Reichling said.

The Cornhuskers came back to take the second game Saturday by a 7-5 margin despite a three-run rally in the seventh inning by Iowa State. Mike Zitelman went 2-for-4 and Andy Fjelland was 2-for-3 for the Cyclones.

The two teams split on Sunday as well. The Cornhuskers won 5-0 in game one as Brian Miller threw the shutout for Nebraska. Brody Clark led the Cyclones, going 2-for-3 with a triple, but Miller didn’t allow an ISU run to score.

“He pitched awfully well,” Reichling said.

Iowa State responded with a 17-0 stomping that afternoon behind a no-hitter from Kruse. It was the first no-hitter in the three-year history of the NCBA.

Evan Grieme and Scott Tinkoff each homered, and Scott Munhall had three of Iowa State’s 13 hits to lead the rout.

But in the NCBA only the first three games of a four-game series count towards the standings in the Central Plains Conference. The fourth is considered a nonconference game, although the ISU victory could have some worth in the future. If Nebraska and Iowa State end the season tied in the standings, the final game on Sunday could serve as the tiebreaker.

“We got it done early in five innings,” Reichling said. “But it won’t count.”

Kruse, a junior who was a four-year starter at Dyersville Beckman High School, said he expected the team to play well, but hadn’t envisioned a no-hitter on his part.

“It’s a pretty nice honor,” Kruse said. “It was pretty easy to get the first one in ISU club history since these were our first games. I definitely didn’t expect it.”

Reichling’s performance for the weekend included six strikeouts, which was indicative of the rest of the squad. The Cyclones struck out 32 times in the four games.

“It was really hit or miss,” Reichling said. “[In the first game Saturday] I struck out twice and hit two home runs. I struck out a lot — as a whole team we struck out a lot — because we’re not used to seeing pitching yet. That will get a lot better.”

Reichling said he expects the team to improve since they had only scrimmaged once last week to prepare for the Cornhuskers.

Conversely, Nebraska had already completed 10 games.

Iowa State will open its home schedule in the first game of a doubleheader this weekend. The Cyclones will face John Brown University at noon on Saturday at Cap Timm Field. ISU basketball players Tim Barnes and Jackson Vroman will throw out the ceremonial first pitches for the game.

The Cyclones play another doubleheader Sunday at 10 a.m.

“All I know is that Nebraska beat them pretty bad,” Reichling said. “But they’ll probably be better now that they have some games under their belt.”