FRESNO, Calif. – Cyclone senior Tori Torrescano is known for her power hitting but showed her toughness in the pitching circle on Saturday as the Cyclones (10-10, 0-0 Big 12) upset No. 8 Oregon (20-4, 0-0 Pac-12), 2-1. The win is Iowa State’s first over a top-10 team since 2009. In the afternoon game, No. 23 Oregon State (19-4, 0-0 Pac-12) defeated Iowa State, 9-1.
Torrescano (5-3) turned in the best pitching performance of her career to end Oregon’s 13-game winning streak, giving up one run on six hits, walking two and fanning four. The decision is the second for the senior over a ranked opponent; Torrescano was the winning pitcher in Iowa State’s 2-1 win over No. 14 Oklahoma State in 2012.
Iowa State’s last win over a top-10 team was against No. 10 Missouri in 2009. The club had not knocked off a top-10 non-conference opponent since 1998 when the Cyclones beat No. 8 Arizona State.
Janie Takeda drove in Oregon’s only run on a two-out RBI-single in the sixth inning for the game’s first run but that was all the Ducks would get as Torrescano got a fly out from Alexa Peterson to send the game to the bottom of the frame.
Takeda and fellow left-handers Courtney Ceo, Samantha Pappas and Danica Mercao had all six Ducks hits against the Cyclones, including a three-for-four day from Ceo. Right-handers were 0-for-14 in the game.
After loading the bases with one out and failing to score in the fourth inning, the Cyclones had players on each base again with one out in the sixth for Lexi Slater, who singled up the middle to bring home Torrescano, tying the game, and Maddie Reese brought in Jorden Spendlove for the 2-1 Cyclone lead.
A single from Sarah Hawryluk reloaded the bases and knocked out Ducks starter, Jessica Moore. Reliever Cheridan Hawkins struck out Brittany Gomez to end the inning. Moore (11-3) finished the day with five and two-thirds innings in the circle, charged with both Iowa State runs while giving up eight hits. Moore walked two and struck out three.
Despite a walked batter and a single in the seventh, Torrescano finished her stellar day in the circle, getting a ground out from Ceo for the final out.
Against the Beavers, Taylor Smith (4-3) took the loss, giving up four hits and five runs in two-thirds of an inning, walking one and striking out none.
Natalie Hampton, who went three-for-four with a run scored, drove in two of Oregon State’s five first-inning runs on a double down the right field line. Desiree Beltran also had two RBI in the contest with RBI singles in both the first and second innings.
Spendlove’s leadoff double in the fifth gave Iowa State its first runner in scoring position of the afternoon. Following the double, Slater walked on four pitches to bring up Aly Cappaert who singled up the middle, driving in Spendlove for Iowa State’s only run.
Beltran’s final hit of her three-for-three performance was an RBI-single in the bottom of the fifth for a 8-1 Beavers lead. Beltran had three RBI, scored a run and walked against Iowa State.
Pinch hitter Christie Langlois singled to drive in Oregon State’s final run in the bottom of the fifth, earning the Beavers the 9-1 win.
Marina Demore (13-2) picked up the win, throwing a complete game and allowing one run on three hits, walking two and collecting two strikeouts.
The Cyclones embark on a 10-game road trip this week, headed first to the Tournament at Clearwater, hosting my South Florida, March 15-17. Iowa State will face Liberty at 10:45 a.m. CST on Friday March 15 to begin the trip.
