Iowa State Falls to Nothern Iowa, 5-3, in Extra Innings

AMES, Iowa ? The Iowa State softball team had its seven-game non-conference winning streak snapped with a 5-3 loss to Northern Iowa on Tuesday afternoon at the Southwest Athletic Complex. ISU drops to 12-18 on the year, while UNI improves to 11-13 on the season.

Iowa State jumped out to an early 3-1 lead after two innings of play. ISU began its scoring with a run in the first inning on an RBI double by Jessica Quade, scoring Kim Rodgers from second. Rodgers had reached on a single to right center and was moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Ashley Killeen. The Panthers added a run in the top of the second to tie the game at one. The Cyclones took the lead in the second on Rodgers' sacrifice fly to center, driving home Diana Reuter, who had doubled to lead off the inning. Quade followed with an RBI single to left, scoring Jennifer Bigbee from third. Bigbee got on base on an error by Panther shortstop, Rachel Rogers, and then stole second before moving to third on Rogers' second throwing error of the inning.

However, Northern Iowa struck a big blow in the sixth inning when with two outs and a runner on third, UNI's Melissa King hit a two run home run to left to tie the contest off Cyclone relief pitcher Alyssa Ransom.

After a scoreless seventh inning, the international tiebreaker rule was invoked at the beginning of the eighth and each team started its half inning with a runner on second. The Panthers placed Stephanie Aguero on second. Aguero then moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Erin Strellner. UNI's next batter, Tracy Davis, went to first after being hit by a pitch from Iowa State hurler Katie Reichling. Reichling began the contest as the Cyclone starter, but was moved to the designated hitter spot in the sixth inning after Ransom entered the contest. Davis then stole second before King recorded her second big hit of the day, a double down the left field line, scoring both Aguero and Davis.

In the ISU half of the eighth, the Cyclones were unable to capitalize on their tiebreaker opportunity when Fallon Johnson was placed on second, but her ISU teammates Reuter, Bigbee and Rodgers went down in order.

Reichling suffered the loss for the Cyclones, leveling her record to 6-6 on the season.

Iowa State returns to action on Wednesday for a doubleheader at Big 12 foe Missouri. The first game is slated for a 2 p.m. first pitch and game two will begin at approximately 4:30 p.m. Last season, Missouri swept the season series from ISU, 9-0 and 10-1, in Ames.