The ISU baseball team continued to march in the right direction Tuesday as the Cyclones swept a doubleheader from University of Northern Iowa at Cap Timm field in Ames.

Iowa State topped the Panthers 15-8 in the opener and took the night cap by an 8-6 count in seven innings to raise their record to 16-28 on the season and up their current win streak to six games.

“Our starters are doing a very good job and giving us some quality innings,” Cyclone head coach Lyle Smith said of his team’s turnaround. “Consequently, we’re taking some offense into the game and it’s making it a heck of a lot easier to pitch when we’ve got a lead.”

The opening contest between Iowa State and UNI was a make-up of a rained out game between the two schools last week at Waterloo.

The Cyclones held an 8-0 lead over the Panthers behind pitcher Dave Rossman through three innings before the game was called.

However, when play was resumed UNI broke loose for five runs off ISU pitcher Mark Hanrahan.

The Panthers then tacked on another in the sixth to pull within 8-6 before the Cyclones responded with a two run fifth to up their lead to 10-6.

Iowa State wasn’t able to put the game away until the ninth inning when four Cyclone runners crossed the plate to seal the deal.

“The first game was a little bit unusual coming into that situation,” Smith said. “I didn’t think Hanrahan pitched very well, but I thought Ben McKay came in and did a nice job.”

Despite surrendering seven runs and walking five batters in two and two-thirds innings of work, Hanrahan was credited with his second victory of the season.

McKay tossed four and one-third innings of relief, surrendering one run and striking out three, picking up his first save of the season.

Leading the way for Iowa State offensively was first baseman Jade O’Brien, who finished 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles and four RBIs. Cyclone shortstop Robert Conway also knocked in four runs while collecting three hits, doing all his damage in only five innings of play.

He suffered a slight knee extension in the fifth inning and was removed from the lineup as a precautionary measure.

Conway’s replacement, Steve Goldberg, turned out to be the hero for Iowa State in game two.

The two teams had battled to a 6-6 tie heading into the bottom of the sixth inning when Beau Hampton and Joe Ferin came up with back-to-back one out singles for the Cyclones. After a wild pitch from UNI hurler Mike Egger moved the runners to second and third, Goldberg came through with a clutch single to score Hampton and Ferin and put Iowa State back on top.

The two RBIs were Goldberg’s first of the season.

“Rob definitely left some big shoes to fill offensively and I knew I was going to have a little pressure,” Goldberg said. “[But] I got to play a couple innings in the first game and got the butterflies out so I could relax a little in the second game. I was happy I got the shot to win it in the sixth.”

Charly Bigwood continued his triumphant return from an ankle injury that had sidelined him for several weeks as he picked up the victory for the Cyclones.

Two days after returning to action during a 6-2 victory over Kansas State, Bigwood entered the game in the top of the sixth and tossed one and two-thirds scoreless innings, surrendering two hits while recording one strikeout.

“It’s good to have Charly back in there,” Smith said.