Iowa State Falls to No. 12 Oklahoma State, 2-1

STILLWATER, Okla. ? Iowa State held onto a 1-0 lead going into the seventh inning but saw No. 12 Oklahoma State hit two home runs in the seventh inning to fall to the Cowgirls 2-1 Saturday in Stillwater. The loss drops Iowa State to 22-18 on the season and 1-4 in Big 12 play.

The Cyclones had a 1-0 lead going into the bottom of the seventh. Julie Ward started off the inning for the Cowgirls with a home run over the centerfield wall to tie the game at 1-1. ISU pitcher Rachel Zabriskie got Tamara Brown to fly out for the first out of the inning. Then Megan Castle hit a fly ball down the leftfield line that hit off of the screen of the foul pole to end the game and give Oklahoma State (35-7, 6-0 Big 12) the victory.

Heidi Kidwell got the game started with a single and a steal to get on second before any outs could be recorded. Heidi got moved over to third on a sac bunt by Kelsey Kidwell. That is as far as the Cyclone leadoff hitter would get as Courtney Wray and Alex Johnson both struck out.

The double play was ISU's chosen method of getting out of the second and fourth inning. OSU catcher Brown got the first Cowgirl hit of the game in the second but that was canceled out as Castle hit into a 4-3 double play. In the fourth, Katelyn Bright reached on an error by Sydni Jones, just for Alysia Hamilton to ground into a 4-3 double play of her own.

ISU put the first runs on the board in the top of the fifth as Jones sent a solo home run over the wall in straightaway center to give ISU a 1-0 lead. The shot was Jones' first since March 12 and ties her for third all-time with Ashley Killeen collecting 19 home runs. The Cyclones looked to add more as Carleigh Berry hit a double to left field, but that is as far as she would get as Heidi Kidwell flew out to deep right field to end the top half of the fifth.

Oklahoma State put the pressure on Zabriskie and the Cyclones in the bottom frame of the fifth. Julie Ward recorded her 19th double of the season and Brown hit a single to center field to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Zabriskie then forced foul flies to third and first before getting Chelsea Garcia to pop out to left to get out of the jam.

Zabriskie collects the loss, falling to 18-10 on the season. The junior went the distance allowing six hits and one walk, giving up two runs and striking out three. Oklahoma State's Kat Espinosa came in during the fifth in relief of Anna Whiddon and picked up the win. Espinosa (14-3) went 1.2 innings, only allowing two batters to reach base via walks.

The two teams will meet again tomorrow at 12 p.m.

Oklahoma State 2 Iowa State 1 (4-10-2010 at Stillwater, Okla.)
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Iowa State.......... 000 010 0 - 1 6 1 (22-18, 1-4 Big 12)
Oklahoma State............... 000 000 2 - 2 6 1 (35-7, 6-0 Big 12)
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Pitchers: Iowa State - Zabriskie, Rachel and Johnson, Alex. Oklahoma State ? Whiddon, Anna; Espinosa, Kat(5) and Brown, Tamara.
Win-Espinosa, Kat (14-3) Loss-Zabriskie, Rachel (18-10) T-1:32 A- 310
HR ISU ? Jones, Sydni(4) OSU ? Ward, Julia (8), Castle, Megan (3).

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Players Mentioned

Alex Johnson

Alex Johnson

Sydni Jones

Sydni Jones

Heidi Kidwell

Heidi Kidwell

Kelsey Kidwell

Kelsey Kidwell

Courtney Wray

Courtney Wray

Rachel Zabriskie

Rachel Zabriskie

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