Cyclones drop second game of doubleheader after 12-inning opener

Junior+Brittany+Gomez%2C+infielder+and+outfielder%2C+slides+into+second+base+as+the+Kirkwood+Eagles+miss+the+catch.+Iowa+State+softball+won+both+games+against+the+Eagles+on+Oct.+18%C2%A0at+the+Cyclone+Sports+Complex.

Caitlin Ellingson/Iowa State Daily

Junior Brittany Gomez, infielder and outfielder, slides into second base as the Kirkwood Eagles miss the catch. Iowa State softball won both games against the Eagles on Oct. 18 at the Cyclone Sports Complex.

Ryan Leon

The Cyclones went 1-1 in a doubleheader on the last day of February in games against Cal Poly and San Diego State in the San Diego Classic.

The first game was a 12-inning marathon that saw the ISU softball team pull out a 4-3 victory against Cal Poly. The Cyclones were led by Brittany Gomez, who finished 2-for-6 at the plate with one run scored and two RBIs, including a walk-off single to win the game.

The Cyclones and the Mustangs struggled early, only tallying one run a piece in regulation. Amanda Sandoval opened the scoring for the Mustangs with a home run in the third, giving Cal Poly a 1-0 lead. Iowa State responded in the bottom of the inning when Lexi Slater singled to drive in Gomez.

Both teams struggled after that as neither scored a run for the remainder of regulation. It wasn’t until the 10th inning when the scoring opened back up.

Stephanie Heyward drove in Courtney Tyler via a single down the right field line, which put the Mustangs up 2-1. The Cyclones would answer in the bottom of the 10th with a Gomez single that brought in Paris Imholz to tie the game.

The Cyclones gave up an unearned run in the 12th after ISU pitcher Katie Johnson walked Heyward, scoring Sandoval to give Cal-Poly a 3-2 lead.

Iowa State mounted its comeback later that inning, starting with a Gabby Voulgaris RBI single. The next two batters each got on base, setting the table for Gomez, who hit the winning walk-off single.

Following a game that totaled more than three hours in length, the Cyclones took on San Diego State in part two of their double header. The game was all Aztecs from the beginning, as they cruised to a 3-0 victory against the Cyclones.

The Aztecs were led by Jenavee Peres, who hit a two-run homer in the fourth to seal the win. San Diego State only needed six hits to rout the Cyclones.

Fatigue was an obvious factor for the Cyclones, as their two games were only separated by a matter of minutes. The offense never got going as the team batted a mere 6-for-24 without any extra base hits.

ISU pitcher Stacy Roggentien dropped to 3-2, throwing six innings and allowing three earned runs on six hits. Roggentien also pitched the final inning of the previous game against Cal Poly.

The Cyclones will attempt to bounce back and finish the San Diego Classic on a high note in their game against Grand Canyon University at 11 a.m. March 1.