COLUMBIA, SC – The Iowa State softball team (6-5) scored early and scored often in a 10-0 route of the Elon Phoenix (7-3) in a five-inning run-rule on the first day of the Gamecock Invitational.
Iowa State 10, Elon 0 (5 innings)
The Cyclones wasted no time scoring the first run of the game as Carli Spelhaug raced home on an Elon wild pitch after hitting a lead-off double and stealing third. Shortstop Sami Williams then scored off of a fielding error by the Phoenix shortstop, giving the Cyclones a 2-0 advantage.
The game was broken wide open in the second as Iowa State plated five runs and all nine batters got an at-bat in the inning. In the inning, Williams started the scoring with a single to left field that scored Kasey Simpson and put runners at the corners with only one out. Fellow senior Hannah Carter followed that up by lacing a two-RBI double to right field that scored Williams and C. Spelhaug. Logan Schaben would then single up the middle to score Carter, and Alesia Ranches then scored Schaben, after she had stolen second base. This put the Cyclones up 7-0 after just two innings of play.
In the third, Kasey Simpson scored once again on a C. Spelhaug doubled that stayed just inside the left field line, padding Iowa States lead to 8-0. It was Spelhaugs second double of the night.
It was more of the same in the home half of the fourth as Schaben got the inning started with a walk. Ranches followed that up with a double to center field, which advanced Schaben to third. She would come around to score as the next batter, pinch hitter Morgan Wright, grounded to the shortstop, moving Ranches over to third. The final run of the night was scored off of a Mikayla Ramos sacrifice fly that plated Ranches from third, giving Iowa State the 10-0 advantage.
It was smooth sailing for Cyclone pitching as freshman Janessa Jasso pitched a one-hit gem with seven strikeouts in five innings of work. The only trouble that Jasso faced came in the top of the fourth inning when Elon center fielder hit a lead-off triple to deep center field, but Jasso was able strike out the next two Elon batters and got the third to pop the ball up on the infield, getting out of the inning unscathed.
On Deck
Iowa State will play two games on Saturday, as they will take on No. 8 Michigan at 11:30 a.m. CT, then face No. 22 South Carolina in the final game of the day at 7 p.m. CT.
