CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — Iowa State notched its 27th win of the season over in-state rival Northern Iowa 6-2 Tuesday night, aided by two home runs from junior Tatum Johnson. 

Iowa State had 10 hits, six runs batted in, no errors and no stolen bases. The win is the third consecutive victory following a fifth-inning loss to Kansas on Saturday. 

“It’s nice to be home,” Iowa State head coach Jamie Pinkerton said. “We don’t like getting on a bus and going to the airport midweek, so to play somewhere and be back in our beds tonight is huge.” 

Johnson’s three at-bats totaled three runs, three RBIs and two home runs, the first of which happened in the first inning on a two-run blast to left field. Johnson then launched a solo shot deep in the fifth inning. 

“I’ve been going in the box and trying to hit the ball hard,” Johnson said. “I have a really good eye, so trying not to do too much and trust my eye early in the count.”

Junior infielder McKenna Andrews recorded a two-run shot in the sixth and an RBI single. The pair scored all six of the Cyclone runs. 

“It’s a [runs per inning] game,” Pinkerton said. “This is a team that’s been in the running for a Missouri Valley Championship the last few years, so we know when we come here that we’re playing a well-coached team.”

The Panthers had won 17 of 22 games entering Tuesday’s contest. The four-run victory margin ties the largest win since April 15. 

Sophomore pitcher Lauren Schurman made her ninth appearance in 11 games, the most of any pitcher on the Cyclone roster. Schurman recorded her 13th win of the season in her 40th game.

“We have a great training and pitching staff,” Schurman said. “It relieves you when you’re pitching, knowing I can trust our hitters. When they come through, it makes things that much easier.”

Iowa State hits the road for a three-game series against Utah from April 25-27. The team then returns home on April 30 against the Drake Bulldogs following the final game of the Cy-Hawk Series.