Florida blanks Cyclones

The Iowa State softball team suffered its fourth shutout of the season, falling to No. 2 Florida 8-0.

The Cyclones quickly were left in a deficit in the bottom of the first, going down two runs.

Florida’s Amanda Lorenz scored in teammate Nicole DeWitt, and then Janell Wheaton scarified her hit to score in Lorenz.

The Cyclones were not able to respond, going hitless in three innings. The Gators did not let up and followed up with six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Sophia Reynoso singled to score in Aleshia Ocasio. Then a hit down left field from Hannah Adams, scored in Jaimie Hoover.

DeWitt then sent a hit down field for a  RBI double, scoring in Hoover and Reynoso.

Lorenz then came back to the plate, sending a hit to the outfield that scored DeWitt.

Kayli Kvistad then followed suit and scored in Lorenz on a hit to right center.

Savannah Sanders is now 2-2 on the season after being pulled in the bottom of the fourth inning for Emma Hylen. Sanders pitched for 3.1 innings, allowing seven hits, six runs and hit Kvistad once.

Emma Hylen came in and was not able to slow down the Gators offense, allowing three hits and two runs, but managed to have two strikeouts.

The Cyclones were not able to get a single hit in this contest. Florida’s pitcher Kelly Barnhill (6-0) went for nine strikeouts and no hits.

Cyclones narrowly squeak out win against Illinois State 

Iowa State defeated Illinois State by a score of 5-4 in its third game of the tournament.

The Cyclones bounced back after losing 8-0 to No. 2 Florida just an hour earlier, and finished with eight hits against the Redbirds.

The Cyclones traded scoreless innings with the Redbirds until the top of the fourth, where Illinois State scored after an error on pitcher Brianna Weilbacher.

The Cyclones then responded with a huge offensive stride starting with Bosworth after she singled to right field, scoring in Sydney Stites.

Following Bosworth, Woolpert then doubled to left field, scoring in Bosworth.

Woolpert would then later score unearned after Hannah Carter reached on an error on Redbird second baseman Alex Caliva.

With the score now 3-1, the Redbirds didn’t respond and the Cyclones extended the lead by two more in the fifth and sixth innings.

In the fifth, Bosworth tripled to right center, scoring in Stites and earning herself her second RBI on the day.

In the sixth, Taylor Nearad tripled to left center, scoring in Carter.

The Redbirds would then respond in the last inning of play.

Caliva would then get hit by Sanders, allowing Stephanie Thulen to score.

Allison Spence flied her swing into right field, scoring in teammate Riley Hale, placing Shannon Felde in scoring position.

Spenser Strandgard would then score Felde on a fielder’s choice that saw Caliva get thrown out. 

Sanders ended with her first save of the season, and Weilbacher moved to 4-2 for the season.

This put the Cyclones even at 2-2 for the Aquafina Invitational. The Cyclones have one more game against No. 2 Florida at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow.