Cyclone Softball Defeats UCSB in Second Day of Santa Barbara Invitational

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- The Iowa State softball team defeated Santa Barbara, the host school of the Santa Barbara Invitational, 6-3 Saturday afternoon at Elings Park. The win evened ISU's recorded at 2-2 after it dropped an earlier Saturday contest vs. Sacramento State, 2-7. Erica Martinez got the win for Iowa State and she also went 2-of-3 at the plate and belted her second home run of the season.

The Cyclones jumped on UCSB early, as Martinez homered to leftfield to put ISU up 1-0. Iowa State added to its margin scoring two runs on just one hit in the top of the third. Julia Lindsey got the lone hit of the inning, a triple, but she would get caught trying to steal home. ISU managed to score two runs on a UCSB error, as two Cyclone base runners got on the path after being hit by a pitch. Then an error by Santa Barbara's Chantel Pershing allowed Martinez and Adi Blackmon to score.

The Gauchos cut ISU's lead to two, scoring a run in the bottom of the third. The game then went scoreless over the next three innings, until ISU pushed its lead to five with three runs in the top of the seventh.

Martinez registered the first two outs of the seventh before Jen Bice came in to get the save. The Gauchos had narrowed ISU advantage to three, before the Cyclones finally ended the game. Martinez finished the night allowing three runs to score on seven hits, She struckout two batters and issued just three walks. The win improve her record to 1-1 and the save was Bice's first of the season.

In the morning showdown vs. Sacramento State, ISU was able to take an early 2-0 lead in the second. Sacramento State answered with two runs of its own in the top of the third and then took a commanding five run lead, scoring five runs in the top of the fourth. Bice went the distance on the mound for ISU, but took the loss to fall to 1-1 on the year. She gave up seven runs on nine hits and notched four strikeouts.

The Cyclones got their two runs in the second behind a double by freshman Lindsey Herrin. Herrin finished the contest 2-of-3 at the plate, with one RBI.

Iowa State finishes up competition at the Santa Barbara Invitational, Sunday with a single game vs. Providence. First pitch will be at 11 a.m.