WACO, Texas – Iowa State (14-19, 0-3 Big 12) fell in its weekend finale at No. 16 Baylor (29-7, 3-2 Big 12) on Saturday, 7-5. Senior Tori Torrescano hit her second home run of the weekend in the loss, the 39th long ball of her career.
Three of Iowa State’s runs came with two-outs, off the bats of Jorden Spendlove and Maddie Reese, bringing the club’s two-out RBI total to 63 on the season. Both Spendlove and Reese drove in runs with two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the third, helping Iowa State to a 5-1 lead before the Bears charged back to retake the lead and claim the win.
The duo has been solid all season when batting with the bases loaded. Spendlove is 5-for-8 and Reese is 3-for-4 with runners at each base.
Torrescano’s shot to left center started things off for the Cyclones in the first inning, giving the visitors the early 2-0 lead. Of Torrescano’s 12 home runs this season, five have come with two outs in an inning. Baylor got one of the two runs back in the bottom of the frame on a sacrifice fly to right center field.
Cyclone starter Riley Fisher walked Baylor’s first two batters in the second but bore down to get out of the jam as Clare Hosack moved the runners over with a sac bunt before Robin Landrith and Kathy Shelton both grounded out to first.
A bunt base hit from Brittany Gomez got a three-run inning off and running for Iowa State in the top of the third. Gomez moved to second on a sac bunt from Sarah Hawryluk before back-to-back walks to Erica Miller and Torrescano loaded the bases for Spendlove. Spendlove lofted a bloop single over the first baseman’s head to drive in a run, and Reese followed with a double to right center, driving in two more runs to open a 5-1 lead for Iowa State.
In the bottom of the third, Baylor once again loaded the bases with no outs and made it count with RBI-hits from Linsey Hays, Jordan Strickland and Kelsi Kettler, bringing the score to 5-4 in favor of Iowa State.
Baylor drew even in the bottom of the sixth on a sac fly from Holly Holl and scored the go-ahead run on a Cyclone error following a single from Hays. Baylor tacked on another run on an illegal pitch from Iowa State’s Madison Jones, for the 7-5 lead.
Junior Taylor Smith (5-6) worked three innings against the Bears and took the loss after giving up three runs, one earned, on five hits while walking one and fanning one.
Heather Stearns (9-3) collected the win for Baylor with four and one-third innings of relief work. Stearns allowed no hits, no runs and walked none. She had eight strikeouts.
On Wednesday, April 3, Iowa State is on the road again, traveling to UNI for a 3 p.m. CDT first pitch.
