Iowa State softball came back after being down 4-0 after the top half of the first inning on Saturday at the Cyclone Softball Complex with a 9-7 victory in game two of the series against Houston. With the win, the Cyclones improve to 18-10 on the year and 2-3 in the Big 12 Conference. The Cougars fall to 17-16 overall and 1-7 in league play.
“We just kept plugging away,” head coach Jamie Pinkerton said. “We knew that as good offensively as Houston was, is that we could score and we match up well with them and what their bullpen does. We just knew that if we kept plugging away we could get back in the ball game.”
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Ava Mullen earned the start in the circle for Iowa State. Maddie Hartley led off with a single for the Cougars, and the following three Houston batters walked which kept the bases juiced. The Cougars plated three more runs in the top of the first inning: Kylei Griffin’s groundout drove in Makenna Mitchell, Isabel Cintron’s bunt scored Ariel Redmond and Mandy Esman’s double brought Madox Mitchael home.
Liv Palumbo replaced Mullen in the circle and provided 2.1 innings of service.
Houston’s Cintron was caught stealing home and Shelby Taylor grounded out to Reagan Bartholomew, which ended the top of the first inning.
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The bottom of the first inning opened with Jessie Clemons grounding out. Tatum Johnson worked a walk and advanced to second when Bartholomew singled to left. Karlee Ford’s pop up to shortstop recorded the second out, but Malott followed with a three-run shot to center, which trimmed the Cougar lead to one run.
Kasey Kane walked and Kadence Shepherd struck out looking, ending the bottom of the first inning.
Hartley grounded out to open the second inning with a groundout. Following her plate appearance, Houston tallied a pair of singles by Mitchell and Redmond. Mitchael’s double brought Mitchell home to increase the visitors’ lead to 5-3 and Griffin struck out swinging.
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A pair of singles for the Cyclones with one out gave a promising start to the bottom of the second inning, but, the pitching change of Paris Lehman in for Nicole Bodeux stranded the two in cardinal and gold.
In the top of the third, Houston put two more runs on the scoreboard: Hartley’s single drove in Esman and Mitchell reaching base on a fielder’s choice drove in Gabby Rawls.
Lauren Schurman replaced Palumbo in the circle for the final out of the inning. Schurman (9-2) recorded the win in the circle for Iowa State and she pitched 3.1 innings.
Three up, three down was the story of the bottom of the third and the top of the fourth innings.
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In the second at-bat of the bottom of the fourth inning, Tiana Poole reached on an error by the shortstop. Johnson drove in Poole which brought the Cyclones within three.
The Cougars recorded two outs rather quickly in the top of the fifth, Rawls grounded out and Taylor’s bunt went right to Schurman, who made the throw to Malott. Houston got two on base with a throwing error and a single, but Redmond grounded out to Schurman, ending the inning.
The bottom of the fifth is when Iowa State broke open the game. Bartholomew and Ford singled and Malott drew a walk. Ashley Minor pinch hit for Shepherd. Although she grounded out, Bartholomew was able to score.
The Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Idaho in 2023 – Hayleigh Oliver – also came up big in a pinch hitting role, as her single up the middle scored Ford and Malott. Oliver was able to advance to second on the throw.
McKenna Andrews doubled to left center which drove in Oliver to give the Cyclones an 8-7 lead. The inning ended when Clemons flew out to left field.
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Mitchael opened the top of the sixth with a single. Jordee Wilkins’ bunt popped up and Malott was able to get under it for the first out of the frame. Rawls, despite reaching on a fielder’s choice, was the last at bat of the top of the sixth as Cintron was out at second base.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Ford provided the last run of the game with a home run.
A groundout by Prado ended the bottom of the sixth inning.
Jaiden Ralston recorded the save, her second on the season.
Houston’s batters went three up, three down, as Taylor grounded out on a bunt, Hartley’s foul ball was caught by Malott and Mitchell flew out to Johnson.
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The Cyclones and the Cougars face off today at noon.
It currently feels like 29º in Ames, 62º fewer than it was at the end of Saturday’s contest.