Iowa State Falls in Both Ends of Doubleheader

TAMPA, Florida – Iowa State fell in both legs of their doubleheader Friday at the Michele Smith Spring Break Tournament at the USF Softball Stadium. The Cyclones fell late to Boston 4-3, and then were shutout by hosts USF 2-0. The losses drop Iowa State to 13-9 on the season.

Game Two: USF 2 Iowa State 0
The home Bulls did not waste time getting to work in the first inning. Kristen Wyckoff led off with a walk off Brianna Weilbacher and D'Anna Devine laid down a bunt that no Cyclone could get an out on. Two batters and a double steal later, Lee Ann Spivey got a base hit to right to give USF a 1-0 lead. Monica Santos followed that with a groundout, but it was enough to bring Devine home and make it 2-0.

From there, Weilbacher was able to settle down and help stifle the Bulls offense. When the Cyclone hurler allowed baserunners, her catcher Sammie Hildreth had her back, as the junior backstop got a pair of caught stealing plays on the aggressive South Florida side. The Bulls had a chance to add to its lead in the fifth as Kassandra Moeller drew a lead-off walk and got advanced to second. Wyckoff bunted in front of the plate and was ahead of Sammie Hildreth's throw. Moeller rounded third for home, but Jorden Spendlove and Hildreth snuffed it out and were able to throw her out at home.

However, the Iowa State offense struggled to back up their pitching performance against Erica Nunn. The Cyclones did not get a base runner until the third inning when Nychole Antillon drew a walk. A bases on ball was all ISU could add to its haul in the fourth as Aly Cappaert drew her 10th walk of the campaign.

The Cyclones finally got going in the sixth as Sammie Hildreth got Iowa State its first hit of the game on a single that hit off Nunn's legs and eluded the Bulls infield. Brittany Gomez followed that up with one of her patented bunt singles to get two on with no outs. The Bulls called on Karla Claudio out of the bullpen to get USF out of the jam and she did so as she got Lexi Slater to strike out, Cappaert to ground out and Hartman to strike out swinging to end the ISU threat.

Game One: Boston 4 Iowa State 3
ISU took advantage of being the visiting team by getting on the board first. Brittany Gomez led off the game with her 173rd career hit, a bunt single that put her alone in fifth in school history and promptly stole second for her 15th steal of the season. She was brought home two batters later by Rachel Hartman on an RBI-single to right-center.

The Terriers got on the board in the bottom of the first via a passed ball and took the lead in the home half of the third inning. Moriah Connolly led off with a bunt single and was brought home two batters later on an RBI-single by Emma Wong to put Boston ahead 2-1 after three.

Iowa State battled back in the fifth inning, as Sammie Hildreth led off the frame with a single. Two batters later, Lexi Slater drove her home through the left side to tie things up. Two batters later, Hartman got her second RBI of the game as she hit her fifth double of the season to right-center to bring Slater all the way around from first to make it 3-2 Cyclones.

Boston responded in the home half of the fifth as Connolly got a one-out single and a steal of second base. Brittany Younan tied things at 3-3 with a single-to left center to bring home Connolly. After Younan stole second, Wong then drove home the game-winning run with a single to left-center to make it 4-3 Terriers.

ISU had a small glimmer of hope in the top of the seventh as Hildreth led off the inning with a walk. However, Gomez popped her bunt attempt to the pitcher, leading to pinch runner Kaila Konz getting out at first on a double play that ended any hope for the Cyclones.

On Deck
Iowa State has a doubleheader tomorrow at the Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater, Fla. Action starts at 9 a.m. ET/8 a.m. CT against St. Joseph's, with the second game of the day following against Massachusetts.

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Players Mentioned

Nychole Antillon

Aly Cappaert

Aly Cappaert

Brittany Gomez

Brittany Gomez

Rachel Hartman

Rachel Hartman

Sammie Hildreth

Kaila Konz

Lexi Slater

Lexi Slater

Jorden Spendlove

Jorden Spendlove

Brianna Weilbacher

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