The Iowa State softball team finished up their second day in the Doc Halverson UNI Dome Classic as they were able to pick up their first win of the season against Northern Iowa Saturday.

Offense with a huge bounce back after Friday’s dry spout

The Cyclones were able to rebound offensively after only putting up two runs in Friday’s contests, as they were able to put up nine combined runs in two games on Saturday. Freshman third baseman Ashley Minor was able to hit her first collegiate home run as she was able to give 

Iowa State the early lead against UNI with that two-run homer. Freshman right fielder Tiana Poole was also able to hit her first collegiate home run as she blasted one in the fourth inning to give ISU back the lead. 

Overall, the Cyclones were able to put up a combined 15 hits in the day, as six hits came in the first game in the loss against Drake, and nine hits came in the win against UNI in the second game.

Cyclones lock down in the seventh and seal their first win of the season

Iowa State had a 6-2 lead over the Northern Iowa Panthers going into the seventh inning as things got worrisome towards the end of the game. 

The Cyclones faced bases loaded with two outs left in the game with a four-run lead as a base hit by UNI freshman Catcher Alexis Pupillo hit a single that scored two runs that closed the gap on the Cyclones lead making it 6-4 Iowa State. 

But junior right-handed pitcher Saya Swain was able to lock down and strike out UNI’s last chance at potentially tying, or even walking off the Cyclones as she was able to collect five strikeouts in three innings of relief in that game. 

Iowa State looks to ride momentum towards final game of tournament

While the Cyclones were able to split during Saturday’s games, they look to finish off the tournament on a strong note. 

They have one final matchup in this Dome Classic as they get to play the UNI Panthers one final time to potentially sweep them at their own tournament. First pitch is currently scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Sunday.