AMES, Iowa – In one of the wilder games of the season, Iowa State (22-15, 4-8 Big 12) used a seventh-run seventh to come from behind and beat No. 14 Arizona (29-9, 11-4 Big 12) by a score of 12-10 on a chilly day at the Cyclone Softball Complex.
The teams sat tied at 1-1 apiece through four innings before combining to plate 20 runs in the final three frames of action. ISU took a 5-1 lead into the sixth, only to see Arizona respond and grab a 10-5 lead heading into the seventh. The Cyclones then scored seven runs, all with two outs, to earn their first ranked win of the season.
With one aboard and two out, Iowa State used three singles, a double and a homer to mount a furious final-inning comeback and salvage the weekend series against the Wildcats.
Reagan Bartholomew was the hero, as the senior out of Waukee blasted a three-run walk-off homer over the center field fence to give the Cyclones the Monday afternoon win. Bartholomew’s blast was her lone hit of the day, but she led the team in RBI with three. Tatum Johnson led all players with three knocks, while Jessie Clemons, Kadence Shepherd and Tiana Poole all had a pair of hits.
In the circle, Lauren Schurman got the start, handling the first inning, before re-entering to finish innings six and seven. Though she allowed six runs, just one was earned as a trio of Cyclone errors helped the Wildcat scoring cause. Jaiden Ralston handled the middle innings, dealing four frames and collecting a pair of punchouts.
For Arizona, Taylor Biehl, Grace Jenkins and Jenna Sniffen all had multiple hits, with Jenkins owning a game-high four RBI. Jalen Adams, like Schurman, started the game for Arizona only to re-enter and close things out. Adams allowed eight hits in her four frames of work.
How it Happened
For the third time in this series, Arizona took an early lead, scoring a run in the first inning. A one-out single was eventually driven in by Jenkins, who doubled into left-center.
Down 1-0 for the first 3.5 innings, ISU responded with a run of its own in the bottom of the fourth. Shepherd led the inning off with a single, before Victoria Prado eventually drew a two-out walk to put runners on first and second. Poole then blooped a single into shallow center field to plate Shepherd and tie the game up at one.
The Cyclone offense did some damage in the fifth, plating four runs on four hits to take a 5-1 lead. Clemons and Johnson opened the frame with consecutive singles. With Clemons on third, an Arizona wild pitch proved the perfect opportunity for her to put ISU in front, 2-1. A walk would put Johnson on second, and Shepherd would capitalize with a double, scoring Johnson and putting two runners in scoring position. The Cyclones capitalized on another wild pitch before using a Sydney Malott groundout to score their final run of the frame.
The Wildcats responded and then some in the sixth, plating nine runs on seven hits and utilizing three ISU errors. A three-run blast from Jenkins bookended the nine-run frame, as Arizona took a commanding 10-5 lead, putting ISU down to its last six outs.
The Cyclones couldn’t scratch anything across in the sixth, and the seventh looked the same as ISU got one on early, but then two quick outs. With Malott on first, Ashley Minor drew a two-out walk. A Victoria Prado single would score Malott and make it 10-6 with runners on the corners. An Andrews single would plate one more and put runners on first and second. Clemons then followed up with her 16th double of the season to score one more and put a pair in scoring position. Trailing 10-8, Johnson singled to the pitcher to plate the ninth run and keep two aboard. Next up came the hero, as Bartholomew took a 0-1 ball deep over the center field fence to secure the come-from-behind win and salvage the weekend series.
Monday Notes
Home Runs
Iowa State: Reagan Bartholomew (10)
Arizona: Grace Jenkins (9)
WP – Lauren Schurman (12-5): 3.0 IP, 7 hits, 6 runs (1 earned), 1 walk, 4 strikeouts
SV – N/A
LP – Jalen Adams (16-5): 4.0 IP, 8 hits, 5 runs, 2 walks, 0 strikeouts
On Deck
Iowa State will be back in action this Wednesday, April 8, when it travels east to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes in the first of two Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series games. Wednesday’s game is slated to begin at 5 pm and will be broadcast on B1G Network.
