Cyclones pick up second win in the Big 12 Conference
Jack MacDonald/Iowa State Daily
Iowa State senior Nychole Antillon swings for the ball during the Cyclones’ 11-4 loss to Texas. Antillon had two hits in the game.
April 20, 2018
The Cyclones headed down to Lubbock, Texas to face Texas Tech in a 5-3 victory Friday to pick up their second Big 12 conference win.
This was the first in a three-game series. It marked a good win for the Cyclones in the push to make the postseason.
The game started with a three-run lead early in the second inning by a lead-off double by Nychole Antillon. Taylor Nearad then followed suit with a single. Following an error by the Red Raiders, the Cyclones got on the board first with Antillon running in for the score.
Nearad would rush to third, to allow Logan Schaben to hit a two-RBI hit to score in Nearad and place Iowa State up by two runs.
Schaben would find herself in scoring position after a groundout. She scored later on a wild pitch.
The Red Raiders would not go down without a fight, getting runners in scoring position, and Breanna Russell sent a two-RBI double to right center to push back on the Cyclones lead.
Emma Hylen and the Iowa State defense didn’t back down from the pressure, getting consecutive outs.
Hylen followed her performance by getting two strikeouts in the next Texas Tech action at bat.
Sami Williams brought the lead up to four runs, following an RBI double by Sydney Stites.
Antillon would then score Stites on her hit, bringing the score to 5-2.
Texas Tech cut the lead to two in the bottom of the seventh. But the Cyclones would end the comeback there, getting the Red Raiders out of scoring position.
Hylen finished with five strikeouts, three earned runs and 10 hits.
The Cyclones will play tomorrow at noon for the second game of the series.