The ISU softball team ended up on both sides of lopsided games to begin the Big 4 Fall Tournament on Oct 4.

Iowa State started off the day with an 18-1 victory over Upper Iowa before falling 3-12 to the University of Iowa.

In the opening game, junior center fielder Brittany Gomez, who went 4-for-4 with three singles and a triple, led the Cyclone offense. The team put up seven runs in the fifth inning against Upper Iowa. 

The hot hitting added to the team’s already substantial run total, putting the Cyclones up 15-0. 

They added three more in the sixth after the Peacocks broke the shutout with their lone run in the top of the inning.

Freshman Bri Weilbacher led the pitching effort, shutting out Upper Iowa in the first five innings, surrendering only one hit on four walks and seven strikeouts. Senior Paris Imholz pitched the sixth and final inning.

Sophomore Katie Johnson hit the mound in the Cyclones’ afternoon matchup against the Hawkeyes. However, she could only temporarily slow down the Hawkeyes’ aggressive offense.

After allowing three runs in the first and another in the third, the Cyclones answered in the form of senior shortstop Lexi Slater, who cut the lead in half with a two-run home run to right field. 

From then on, the Hawkeyes took over. After a two-run home run of their own in the top of the fourth, Iowa drew five walks on a combined three different Cyclone pitchers in the fifth to add six more runs to their lead.

Iowa State could only tack on one more run in the bottom of the fifth off an RBI double from freshman right fielder Kelsey McFarland. 

The game concluded after five innings due to time constraints. 

The tournament will continue at 11:45 a.m. Oct. 5 at the Cyclone Sports Complex as Iowa State plays Northern Iowa.