PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico – Iowa State (1-0) opened up the 2024 softball campaign with a resounding 12-1 win over Utah Valley (0-2), powered by sophomore Tatum Johnson’s four RBI outing.

ISU’s 12 runs were the most by a Cyclone squad in a season-opener since the 2011 team dropped 17 against Western Illinois.

The Cyclones had 12 hits on the afternoon, opening up their Puerto Vallarta College Challenge with a convincing victory. Johnson had a career-high four RBI on the day, two of which came on a bomb to center field in the third inning.

Team captain Milaysia Ochoa went 3-for-4 at the plate, tallying one RBI and belting her second career triple. Her fellow team captain, Angelina Allen, recorded the other multi-RBI game for the Cyclones as she went 2-of-5 with a pair of runs batted in.

Karlie Charles got the start for the Cyclones, pitching two innings and allowing just three hits and a solo run. Saya Swain (1-0) entered for Charles and earned her first win of the season. Swain struck out four Wolverines on the afternoon before giving way to freshman Lauren Schurman in the bottom of the sixth who handled the final three outs.

Utah Valley was led offensively by its catcher, Mya Higareda, who was the only Wolverine with multiple hits on the day. Britney Moreno had the only RBI, drawing a bases-loaded walk. Utah graduate transfer Halle Morris recorded the loss in the circle.

The Cyclone bats didn’t take long, as Milaysia Ochoa and Angelina Allen led the game off with back-to-back singles in the top of the first. A Tatum Johnson walk would load the bases with just one out before Carli Spelhaug grounded out to short, scoring Ochoa.

After a scoreless third, Iowa State got back to it in the third. With one out, Alesia Ranches drew a walk before using a pair of wild pitches to advance to third. Johnson came back to the plate and belted a two-run bomb over the centerfield fence to give the Cyclones a 3-0 lead. A two-out single from Camille Marin set the plate for Ashley Minor, who doubled into right-center to bring in Marin and give ISU a four-run cushion.

The Wolverines threatened trouble in the bottom of the frame, singling to start and then drawing a walk. A successful UVU bunt would then load the bases with no outs. A Wolverine walk would bring one across and bring Saya Swain into the game for relief. Swain calmly got two straight batters to pop out and fanned the third to get the Cyclones out of the jam.

ISU added two more in the fourth, expanding its lead to five. With one out, Ochoa belted her second-career triple to centerfield before being driven in by an Allen single. Angelina would advance to second on a groundout before being singled in by Johnson who nabbed RBI number three of the afternoon.

Following a scoreless fifth, Iowa State really broke it open in the sixth inning – adding six more runs to the board. Allen recorded her second RBI on a single through the right side before Johnson earned her career-high fourth RBI of the day on a walk. A Marin sac fly brought in a third run and then three unearned runs would come around before the end of the frame to bring the score to 12-1, where the score would stand when the dust settled.

Thursday Notes

Home Runs

Iowa State: Tatum Johnson (1)

Utah Valley: None

Winning Pitcher – Saya Swain (1-0): 3.0 IP, 2 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts

Losing Pitcher – Halle Morris (0-1): 3.1 IP, 7 hits, 5 runs, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts

On Deck

Iowa State will be back at Nancy Almaraz Stadium tomorrow morning to lead off the second day of event competition when they face No.11 Duke. Tomorrow’s game will be broadcast on FloSoftball.