No. 20 Softball Sweeps Iowa State with 7-5 Victory

Sunday, April 3

College Station

12:00 PM

Texas A&M

30-8, 0

Iowa State

16-13, 0

Iowa State

Texas A&M

Apr 03, 2011 | Softball

Box Score

By: Texas A&M Athletics

April 3, 2011

Final Stats

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Junior Natalie Villarreal hit three doubles as the No. 20 Texas A&M softball team (30-8, 3-1 Big 12) completed a two-game sweep of Iowa State (16-13, 1-3 Big 12) with a 7-5 victory Sunday at the Aggie Softball Complex.

The Cyclones snuck in the first run of the game on a single up the middle by first baseman Erica Miller in the top of the first. The Aggies quickly responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead.

Villarreal pounded a leadoff double to left-center field and took third on a wild pitch by Iowa State's Rachel Zabriskie. Freshman Cassie Tysarczyk drew a walk and stole second to join Villarreal on base.

The pair advanced on an error by the second baseman, putting Villarreal at home for the 1-1 tie. With one out, sophomore Mel Dumezich singled to the shortstop, scoring Tysarczyk for the go-ahead run.

"I thought we did a good job with our speed, putting pressure on their defense and taking advantage of that first-and-third situation," head coach Jo Evans said. "It's a big deal when somebody scores and you answer right back with two runs. I felt good about us. Early-on we did really well and then we sort of fell asleep. Thankfully we had some home runs, or we would have been in trouble today."

Villarreal led off with her second-straight double of the day in the bottom of the third, a zinger down the right field line, before Tysarczyk slammed a bomb over center field that put the Aggies ahead 4-1.

Junior Kelsea Orsak started the bottom of the fourth with her first home run of the season, a solo long ball down the right field line that expanded the lead to 5-1. Villarreal added her third double of the day, to left center, behind Orsak but was left stranded in the inning. The second baseman was 3-for-4 with two runs.

"Nat was great," Evans said. "She was 3-for-3 in the first three at-bats. She puts herself immediately in scoring position, which is exactly what you need from your leadoff batter. We didn't have to worry about bunting her over."

An error in the top of the fifth put ISU leadoff hitter Heidi Kidwell on first. The center fielder narrowed the gap to a 5-2 A&M lead when she crossed the plate on a single through the left side by third baseman Dalyn Varela.

The Cyclones threatened to rally in the sixth when catcher Amandine Habben sent a pitch over the fence at left with one out. The solo homer was the only hit of the inning, however, and the score remained in a 5-3 advantage for the Aggies.

Surging ahead to a more comfortable lead, senior Rhi Kliesing went yard to right field and plated Tysarczyk, who had reached on her third walk of the game, for two runs and a 7-3 lead.

"Cassie was great today about taking her walks," Evans said. "She did a good job, she was patient, she got some full counts and she took a ball-four on them. It allowed her to be on base when Rhi hit that big home run in the sixth inning. That's huge. That's a difference in the game right there."

Iowa State lost no fight in the top of the seventh. Again threatening to tie the game, shortstop Sara Davison drew a walk before Varela hit a bomb that topped the fence in left field for two runs. The Aggies quickly sent the next two batters back to the dugout, and the game ended with a 7-5 victory for A&M.

"That's exactly who [Iowa State] is," Evans said. "They'll come out, get run-ruled one day and then come back the next and give you all they've got. I thought Zabriskie really hung in there. We had so many chances and stranded so many runners in scoring position. She just did her job. She sort of lulled you to sleep out there. I thought we never really took over the game."

Redshirt junior Lindsey Sisk (14-3) picked up the win. The Murrieta, Calif., native fanned four batters and allowed two earned runs on seven hits in six innings in the circle. Zabriskie (10-8) took the loss, giving up six earned runs on eight hits in six innings of work.

The Aggies travel to Austin to continue conference play Wednesday for the first softball game of the 2011 State Farm Lone Star Showdown. First pitch will be thrown at 6:30 p.m. at McCombs Field. Log on to AggieAthletics.com for more information on A&M softball.