ISU Softball Splits Doubleheader with No. 24 Kansas in Home Opener

AMES, Iowa -- The Iowa State softball team earned a split with No. 24 Kansas Sunday at ISU's Southwest Athletic Complex, winning game two, 3-1, after falling, 7-0, in the series opener. It was Iowa State's first home series of the season. After the split, ISU's record is 13-18 overall and 1-3 in Big 12 action. Kansas' record is 21-9 overall and 1-5 in conference action. Both teams picked up their first league wins on Sunday.

Junior Kelly Wardein hit her first home run of the season in the Cyclones' win against KU, while sophomore Lindsey Herrin hit her third double of the season.

In the Cyclones' win, freshman Kristen Karanzias made her 11th start of the season and struck out six batters, while allowing only three KU hits to record her second win of the season.

Iowa State got the lead early, scoring two runs in the first inning. Senior Katie Ruby cracked her first triple of the season and scored senior Adi Blackmon in the process, who was on third base. Herrin stepped up to the plate next and hit a double, sending Ruby home. But Herrin was left on base when sophomore Kim Rodgers grounded out to third base.

After KU scored it's lone run in the second inning, ISU would add one more run in the bottom of the sixth inning when Wardein homered. The game ended with a 3-1 ISU win after the Jayhawks went three and out in the top of the seventh inning.

Iowa State had seven hits to KU's three. The two teams were tied with one error each. Ruby and Herrin had two hits apiece, while Julia Lindsey, Kelly Wardein and Molly McNertney added one hit.

"I thought we played extremely well in the second game after really not coming out prepared in the first game," head coach Ruth Crowe said. "Kristen pitched an awesome game and we really connected on some hits in that game. The first game, we didn't play well at all. It really shows how you have to be ready to play every single game in the Big 12 Conference."

In the opening game of the series, KU had a big first inning where it had a double and a home run to take an early 3-0 lead from which Iowa State could never fully recover. The Jayhawks added one more run in the fifth inning and three more in the seventh to win the game, 7-0. KU had five hits to ISU's two, while ISU had three errors as well. Senior Erica Martinez pitched the first inning of the game, before being relieved by Herrin in the second because of an arm injury Martinez suffered while the team was in Texas.

The Cyclones will stay at home and play host to No. 7 Nebraska on Wednesday, April 2, starting at 3:30 p.m.