Johnson Breaks Record As ISU Beats UNI

AMES, Iowa ? Alex Johnson broke the Iowa State freshman record for hits and Iowa State used a four-run third inning to defeat intrastate rival Northern Iowa, 6-3, in its home opener at the Southwest Athletic Complex Wednesday afternoon.

The Cyclones, who played their first 41 games of the season on the road, improved to 18-24 with the win, while Northern Iowa fell to 13-17.

Johnson, a Raymore, Mo., native roped her ninth double of the season in the fourth inning for her 46^th hit of the season, breaking the previous record of 45, which was set by Erin Woods in 1996. The hit also scored Kristy Olsen to make it 5-0 in favor of ISU.

Ashley Killeen and Amanda Bradberry joined Olsen with two hits in the game and Jessica Quade hit her fourth homer of the season, a solo blast to left field in the fifth off Jen Larsen. Olsen also swiped a pair of bases in the game.

Alyssa Ransom (7-8) tossed a complete game, allowing three runs on six hits, to pick up her 40^th career win. Ransom also had six strikeouts in the game.

The Cyclones batted around in the third, racking up six hits and scoring four runs to jump out to the early lead. Bradberry got the inning started as she singled through the right side. She advanced to second on a sac bunt by Fallon Johnson and scored on a single by Courtney Wray. After Alex Johnson was intentionally walked to load the bases, Katie Reichling and Killeen singled to score Olsen and Wray. The Cyclones added one more on Kristen Karanzias' single that plated Alex Johnson.

After Johnson's record setting fourth inning double made it 5-0 but the Panthers cut into the lead in the top of the fifth as Kelly Papesh doubled to score Ashley Lepley, who walked to leadoff the inning.

Quade's towering home run in the fifth made it 6-1 before UNI's Sarah Bakey rounded out the scoring with a two-run homer in the sixth.

Lepley (6-8) got the loss for the Panthers after allowing four runs on five hits in 2 1/3 innings of work.

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Players Mentioned

Amanda Bradberry

Alex Johnson

Fallon Johnson

Fallon Johnson

Kristen Karanzias

Kristen Karanzias

Ashley Killeen

Ashley Killeen

Kristy Olsen

Kristy Olsen

Jessica Quade

Jessica Quade

Alyssa Ransom

Alyssa Ransom

Katie Reichling

Katie Reichling

Courtney Wray

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