Softball goes undefeated against Iowa Central in doubleheader

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Senior Lexi Slater bats against Iowa Central on Oct. 12.

Kevin Horner

All it took was one week of practice for the ISU softball team to completely switch their fortunes on the field.

Just seven days after finishing up a three-game skid in the Big 4 Fall Tournament, the Cyclones rebounded with two victories against Iowa Central Community College.

Iowa State, playing their third doubleheader in eight days, defeated Iowa Central 13-0 and 31-1 on Oct. 11.

Game One

Senior shortstop Lexi Slater began the aggressive offensive attack with an RBI double, bringing in junior center fielder Brittany Gomez from second.

After adding another run in the first inning and two more in the second, the Cyclones broke the game open with a six-run third inning, putting the team up 10-0 after three.

The Cyclones added three more runs in the fourth and were shut out in the fifth and sixth.

Sophomore Katie Johnson and senior Stacy Roggentien led the Iowa State pitching effort, shutting out the Tritons on just three hits. 

Johnson, who started the contest, pitched the opening four innings and surrendered just two hits. Roggentien, after entering to start the fifth inning, pitched an additional three scoreless innings to close the game at 13-0.

Game Two

Freshman Bri Weilbacher started the second game of the doubleheader on the mound for the Cyclones.

After letting up a run to begin the game in the top of the first inning, Weilbacher recovered by retiring the Iowa Central batters in order in the second. She went on to pitch a scoreless third before senior Paris Imholz took over on the mound.

The ISU batters responded to letting up their first run of the day in a big way. Lexi Slater, as she did in the opening game, began the Cyclone scoring with an RBI single that again brought home Gomez. 

Iowa State went on to add five more runs in the inning, claiming a 6-1 lead after one inning.

After tacking on five runs in the second and ten more in both the fourth and fifth innings, the Cyclones took home the team’s second victory of the day as the game finished 31-1.

Imholz pitched the final three scoreless innings for Iowa State.

Iowa State will square off against Kirkwood for another doubleheader starting at noon Oct. 18 at the Cyclone Sports Complex.