Softball splits first day of Battle at the Beach tournament

Outfielder+Kelsey+McFarland+waits+in+the+batters+box+in+a+17-0+Cyclone+loss+to+the+Baylor+Lady+Bears+on+April+3%2C+2016.

Dalton Gackle/Iowa State Daily

Outfielder Kelsey McFarland waits in the batters box in a 17-0 Cyclone loss to the Baylor Lady Bears on April 3, 2016.

Tara Larson

The Iowa State softball team split their first day of play at FGCU’s Battle at the Beach tournament on Thursday.

The Cyclones (12-16) started out their first day with a game against Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis, or IUPUI (7-17) in Fort Meyers, Florida.

The game was scoreless until the third inning, when Kelsey McFarland made it to third base. Talyn Lewis hit a single RBI bringing McFarland home.

In the seventh inning, Lewis hit a homerun, ending the game 2-0.

Brianna Weilbacher served the team defensively as the solo pitcher against IUPUI. She allowed only three hits and zero runs throughout the game.

The second and final game of the day had a different result.

The Cyclones faced the home team, FGCU (15-12). The Eagles started this game offensively, with two runs in the first inning while the Cyclones remained scoreless.

The Eagles scored two additional runs in the fourth inning. The Cyclones scored in the top of the fifth inning, when McFarland hit a double RBI, bringing two players home. Later in the fifth inning, Sami Williams hit a double RBI, tying the score 4-4.

However, the Eagles shot back in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three runs. The Cyclones fell 4-7.

The tournament continues on Friday. The Cyclones play Canisius at 4 p.m. and Drexel at 6:15 p.m.