The Iowa State baseball team faced the 21st-ranked Oklahoma Sooners over the weekend for a three-game standoff. Due to numerous runners left on base the Cyclones managed only one win out of the three games.

Jeff Sebring was the starting pitcher for the Cyclones in their first battle with the Sooners. The Cyclones started off with a 2-1 lead after the first inning. Iowa State held that lead until the fourth inning, when Oklahoma tied the score at two.

The scoring continued for both teams through the sixth inning where the Sooners had a 7-5 lead. In the seventh Sebring and the rest of the Cyclone defense shut down Oklahoma for no runs.

Iowa State first baseman Chris Grubb came up to bat with two men on, and doubled to center to score both and tie the game at 7-7. Grubb would eventually score on a sacrifice fly by Cory Bohannon to give ISU a 8-7 lead heading into the eighth inning.

Dan Prehn came on in relief of Sebring in the eighth inning and gave up four runs, including an inside-the-park home run by Sooner shortstop Derek Wathan.

In the bottom of the eighth, ISU third baseman Sammy Cox belted a two-run homer to bring the Cyclones to within one, but that was the only offense that ISU could muster and the game ended in an 11-10 loss for the Cyclones.

The second game of the series proved to be a much lower scoring game. Oklahoma was the first to score, taking a 1-0 lead in the second inning. The Cyclones quickly countered with a run of their own in the third to tie the score at 1-1. The Sooners regained the lead in the fourth inning with a score of 2-1.

In the fifth inning Bohannon led off the inning with a blast over the fence and tied the score at 2-2. The Cyclones took the lead for the first time when ISU shortstop Ryan Harmon singled, driving in a run and making the score 3-2.

Oklahoma regained the lead by scoring two runs in the eighth inning, making the score 4-3, where it would stay the rest of the game.

The recurring theme for the Cyclones was leaving men on base. In the first game, ISU left eight men on and six more in the second, including two in the eighth inning.

Iowa State Head Coach Lyle Smith was disappointed with the offensive effort of his team.

“We hit great when there are no outs, but when we have a couple outs we can’t do it,” Smith said. “We had good pitching we just couldn’t score runs.”

Smith also stressed how the teams that ISU faces will be able to score in similar types of situations, and the need for the Cyclones to improve.

“If you put people on base in college, by in large, things are going to happen,” Smith said. “We’re just not tough right now.”

Coming off of two wins, the Sooners might have been looking for a Easter present in the form of an easy win for the final game of the series on Sunday.

But the game would soon prove that the famed Peter Cottontail was a fan of the cardinal and gold.

Iowa State started off the first inning with designated hitter Mike Bahun being hit by a pitch and then scoring on a Bohannon triple. Bohannon scored on a triple by center fielder Darrin DeReu. DeReu would then score on a double by Cox, and the Cyclones headed into the second inning with a 3-0 lead.

The Cyclones made the score 4-0 in the third inning when left fielder Scott Vance scored on an error by the Oklahoma shortstop.

The Sooners made a run in the fourth inning that was sparked by leadoff hitter Brian Shackleford’s home run. Oklahoma first baseman Damon Minor reached first on what appeared to be an easy pop fly that nobody in the infield attempted to catch. Minor was then driven in on a two run blast by left fielder Bobby Brown. The inning finally ended with the ISU lead diminished to 4-3.

In the fifth inning the Cyclones decided to put the game away. Vance led off with a single to left field. He scored on a double by right fielder Clark Jones. Jones later scored on a passed ball, and Cox drove in the final run of the inning with a single to center field that gave ISU a 8-4 lead.

Iowa State pitcher Steve Larkin came in to close in the ninth inning and only gave up one run, giving the Cyclones a 8-5 victory.

The defense of the Cyclones held strong in clutch situations, and the offense generated effectively.

“This weekend we pulled it all together,” Cox said. “We’ve hit as good as I’ve ever seen Iowa State hit.”

Steve Larkin felt that the pitching staff has finally started to work together. “Our starters are going five and six innings, and giving our mid-relievers a good chance,” Larkin said.

Smith was considerably happier with the performance of the team during the win.

“We played real well,” Smith said. “Our starting pitchers are doing better, we’re pitching very well.”

The Cyclones face Oklahoma State at home on Wednesday and look to improve their Big-Eight standings.

“We have to keep doing what were doing,” Smith said.