After being rained out on Saturday, Sunday saw weather that was perfect for softball at the Cyclone Sports Complex with temperatures in the mid 70’s and not a cloud in the sky.

In fact, the only thing that may have been better than the weather was the performance of the Cyclones softball team, as the Cyclones dominated their double-header against Indian Hills Community College by scores of 22-0 and 7-0. The double-header capped off what was a successful fall slate for the team, as they finished their schedule with a record of 6-0-2.

As the score would indicate, the Cyclones dominated the first game in every facet, scoring 10 runs in the first six innings and 12 runs in the seventh alone to take what was already a blowout and bust it open even further. 

Before the Warriors managed to finally get the third out in the seventh, the Cyclones had collected a total of 12 base hits, including RBI doubles by Sami Williams and Sally Woolpert that drove in five of the innings runs.  

As hard as that is to top, the pitching performance by the Cyclones was arguably just as impressive. Iowa State used the duo of Savannah Sanders and Emma Hylen to combine for nine shutout innings with only three hits allowed. 

This was much to the delight of new head coach Jamie Pinkerton, who said one of Iowa State’s primary focuses coming into the fall was on improving the team’s WHIP (Walk plus Hits per Innings Pitched).

“Today they were able to keep that [WHIP] below the innings pitched, and when you can do that you’re going to be successful. I was really impressed with them.” Pinkerton said of the all the team’s pitchers.

The second of the Cyclones’ dominant pitching performances came from freshman Julie Lewis and senior Brianna Weilbacher, who teamed up to allow no runs and only two hits in a seven-inning game. Just as impressive was the ISU defense, which didn’t commit a single error in the second game after having three in the first. 

While the back-half of the double-header didn’t feature as much scoring, the team still ended up scoring more than enough runs to keep the lead comfortable. 

It took a couple of innings for the Cyclone bats to get going, but the team was able to bust through in the bottom of the third thanks in large part to the top of the order.  After the number nine hitter Bryn Hanrahan led off the inning with a single, the top five of the order for Iowa State either reached base or drove in a run, which gave the Cyclones a 4-0 lead at the inning’s end.

After a tacking on three more insurance runs over the next two innings, the Cyclones ultimately finished their impressive day with a 29-0 run differential, which Pinkerton says should only give a team that didn’t lose a game this fall even more confidence heading into the offseason.

“It gave us a chance to play together and play well together,” Pinkerton said.  “We went through the fall season unbeaten, so I think it gives us some good momentum to go into our individual workouts.”

The Cyclones will now head into the next stage of their offseason and retake the field in February of 2018, where Pinkerton hopes that by then the team will have established more familiarity with both his and the coaching staff’s philosophies.  While there’s still more growing to do from now until the beginning of the season, Pinkerton says that he’s pleased with the direction the team is currently heading in.

“I’m real happy with the progress,” Pinkerton said. “We’re still a young team, but I’m excited to get them back on the field in February.”