TEMPE, Ariz. – The No. 25 Iowa State softball team (12-2) split a pair of games at Farrington Stadium on Saturday. The Cyclone offense exploded for a 13-2 run-rule victory over Portland State (1-3), before falling 8-3 at No. 13 Arizona State (9-1) in the nightcap.
Junior Mikayla Ramos went 3-for-3 at the plate with a career-high five RBI vs. Portland State. Senior shortstop Sami Williams went 3-for-3 with two home runs and three RBI against the No. 13 Sun Devils.
No. 25 Iowa State 13, Portland State 2
Portland State took an early lead in the top of the first before the Cyclones flipped the switch offensively. The Vikings took advantage of the only ISU fielding error of the day to plate an unearned run on a RBI single by Emily Johansen.
Carli Spelhaug and Sami Williams both collected base hits to open the day in the bottom of the first, followed by a RBI single up the middle for Ramos to tie the game. Freshmen Milaysia Ochoa and Kali Gose then collected RBIs to give the Cyclones the lead at 3-1 after one.
Ramos added to the lead in the home half of the third with a solo homer, her second of the season, putting Iowa State in front 4-1. PSU’s Marissa Bruno cut the Cyclone lead to 4-2 with a RBI base hit in the top of the fourth before Iowa State piled up nine runs in the bottom half of the frame.
Iowa State’s nine runs came on nine hits in the inning, as well as a Viking error. Ramos started the scoring by collecting a 3-RBI base hit with the bases loaded to extend the lead to 7-2. Ramos ended the game 3-for-3 at the plate with a new career high five RBIs. Logan Schaben kept the offense rolling with a RBI double to score Ramos.
Sarah Tyree then entered the lineup to pinch hit and came through with a two RBI single to right field. Freshman Alyssa Orr put the finishing touches on the run-rule victory with her first collegiate home run, a three-run shot to right field, putting Iowa State in front 13-2.
Freshman pitcher Saya Swain picked up the first win of her career, going 4.0 innings while giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits with four strikeouts.
No. 13 Arizona State 8, No. 25 Iowa State 3
The Sun Devils showed why they’re unanimously considered one of the top 15 teams in the country in the final game of the day. Arizona State jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first and never looked back. Maddi Hackbarth collected a two-RBI single down the left field line to open the scoring.
The Sun Devil senior inflicted more damage in the bottom of the third with a lead-off home run to left field. Alynah Torres made it back-to-back homers in the ensuing at-bat to put ASU in front 4-0.
Williams hit her first of two home runs with a lead-off bomb to right field in the top of the fourth to get Iowa State on the board.
The ASU offense was back at it in the bottom half of the inning, extending the lead to 6-1 on a RBI double by Jazmine Hill, followed by yet another RBI for Hackbarth on a single to right. Halle Harger and Hill each had RBI base hits in the fifth to put the hosts in front 8-1.
The Cyclones continued to battle, putting two runs on the board in the top of the sixth on Williams’ second home run. Carli Spelhaug notched a one-out single to left before Williams came to the plate and collected her ninth homer of the season. The senior’s shot to center field cut the ASU lead to 8-3, but that was as close as Iowa State would get.
On Deck
Iowa State returns to GCU Softball Stadium on Sunday to close out the GCU Purple Classic. The Cyclones will face GCU at Noon CT. The game will be streamed live on GCU.tv.
