The Iowa State baseball team took two huge steps toward the Big Eight tournament last weekend. The Cyclones captured two more wins in a sweep of Big Eight rival, Kansas, 12-10 and 5-3.

The first game of the series was played in frigid temperatures that were accompanied by heavy mist at times. Despite the weather conditions, the game proved to be an offensive battle.

Kansas started the game off with two runs in the first inning, when ISU pitcher Ryan Seifert gave up a two-run homer to Jayhawks second baseman Josh Kliner. Iowa State then countered with a run of their own in the bottom of the first.

After a scoreless second inning, the Cyclones took charge in the third. Iowa State third baseman Sammy Cox singled to the left field with two men on and scored Mike Bahun from third. The game was tied at 2-2, with two men on, when catcher Troy Logan brought Darrin DeReu in with a base hit, and gave ISU a 3-2 lead.

In the fourth inning Kansas tied the game at 3-3, when Kliner hit his second home run of the game.

Kansas gained a 4-3 lead in the fifth inning on a home run by third baseman Andy Juday.

Iowa State battled right back in the bottom of the fifth. Bahun hammered a base hit, and then reached third base on a Kansas error after he stole second. Cyclone second baseman Cory Bohannon brought Bahun home with a base hit and tied the score at 4-4.

Bohannon reached second on a single by Cox, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Logan. With ISU up 5-4, left fielder Scott Vance hit a double that drove in Cox, and increased the Cyclone lead to 6-4.

In the sixth inning, ISU first baseman Chris Grubb reached first on a base hit to center field. Grubb advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by shortstop Ryan Harmon. Grubb reached third on a pass ball to Bahun. Grubb scored on a Bahun double, and ISU was up 7-4.

Bahun advanced to third on a ground ball to first by Bohannon and then scored when DeReu singled, making the score 8-4. DeReu was driven in by a double to center from Cox.

With ISU up 9-4, Logan came to the plate with Cox at second. Logan hit a single that drove in Cox, and made the score 10-4.

In the seventh inning, ISU pitcher Chris Allen came on in relief of Seifert. Allen gave up a triple by Kliner that scored two runs and made the score 10-6.

In the bottom of the seventh, Grubb reached first on a single, and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Harmon. Grubb reached third on a base hit by Bahun, and later scored on a wild pitch to Bohannon, making the score 11-6.

Bahun was driven in by a Bohannon double, and ISU led 12-6.

In the ninth inning, the Jayhawks made a run at ISU that brought KU to within two, but ISU pitcher Steve Larkin and the Cyclone defense were able to hold on strong and collect the 12-10 win.

The second game was on Saturday, and the Cyclones were out to prove that the first victory was no fluke.

The starting pitcher for ISU was junior college transfer, Dan Prehn.

The Cyclones lost first baseman Chris Grubb when he was injured trying to tag out a runner at first. Bohannon moved from second to first, and infielder Rob Ipsen came in to play second to fill the void.

Kansas scored one run in the first and another in the third.

In the bottom of the third, Harmon came up to bat with the Cyclones down 2-0. Harmon reached first on a single and scored on a double by Bahun. Bahun advanced to third on a ground ball by Bohannon, and later scored on a fielders choice to first, and tied the score at 2-2.

In the fifth inning, the Cyclones increased their lead to 4-2, when Logan hit a base hit with the bases loaded to drive in two runs.

Kansas got within one run in the sixth inning, but that was as close as they would get.

In the seventh inning, DeReu crushed a home run over the right field fence to make the Cyclone lead 5-3, where it would stay the remainder of the game.

Prehn pitched all nine innings, giving him his third complete game of the season.

Much of Prehn’s success on Saturday came against left-handed batters. “Danny competes real well against left-handers,” Head coach Lyle Smith said. “He threw about 98 percent fast balls, and he pitched real well.”

Prehn considered the two wins to be very important in Iowa State’s quest for the Big Eight tournament and that the Cyclones were really starting to work together as a team.

“We are hitting good, fielding good, and pitching good,” he said. “We’re really starting to come together.”