PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico – In the most up-and-down game of the tournament, Iowa State (2-2) defeated Long Beach State (0-4) by a score of 7-5 on Sunday afternoon, using a five-run seventh inning and a triad of home runs to close the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge the way it started – with a win.

The Cyclones went down 3-0 and slowly chipped away, using three solo homers to eventually knot the game in the top of the seventh. The team would then add four more insurance runs. Iowa State has now hit six long balls in the first four games, mashing one per game in the previous three before exploding for three today against The Beach.

Angelina Allen led the way for the Cyclones, going 3-of-4 at the plate with three singles. Milaysia Ochoa and Olivia Wardlow each had two hits and four other Cyclones notched hits. Ochoa, Carli Spelhaug and Isabelle Nosan each had solo homers on the day, while Ashley Minor and Spelhaug each had multiple RBI.

Aziza Rodriguez got her first collegiate start this afternoon, going 1.2 innings and allowing just two hits. Saya Swain (2-1) replaced Rodriguez, going the remaining 5.1 innings and striking out three as she picked up her second win of the season.

Both Ochoa and Swain were named to the All-Tournament Team.

Jacquelyn Bickar led The Beach with three hits. Lilyanna Martinez led LBSU with two RBI. Long Beach had just two extra-base hits on the day.

Shannon Haddad (0-2) pitched six innings for The Beach, allowing four runs and striking out five. Kate Barnett and Sophia Fernandez replaced Haddad and finished out the seventh inning as ISU made its comeback.

 How it Happened

Iowa State and Long Beach felt each other out the first two innings, as neither team was able to score a run. ISU was held hitless for the first two innings while LBSU tallied a pair but was unable to cash them in.

Long Beach did most of its damage in the third inning, scoring three of its five runs. A leadoff single and an ISU error allowed for the first run to come across. With a runner on and one out, LBSU strung together a single and a double to plate two and take an early 3-0 lead.

The Cyclones got their first hit in the top of the third but were still held scoreless in the third and fourth. They broke through though in the top of the fifth, as with two outs and no one on, Ochoa belted her first long ball of the season to cut the deficit to two.

A scoreless bottom of the fifth gave way to the sixth, where Spelhaug cranked her second homer of the season. Swain would lock down LBSU in the bottom of the frame to set up a one-run game headed to the seventh.

The inning began with a pinch hit. Isabelle Nosan came to the plate for her first-ever collegiate at bat and promptly sent a ball over the left-center fence to knot the game up at three-all. A pair of singles from both Ochoa and Allen followed by a Tatum Johnson walk loaded the bases with one out. Minor then broke it open, singling through the right side of the defense to plate two and give ISU its first lead – 5-3. A Spelhaug sac fly would plate another and an Olivia Wardlow single scored the seventh run before the inning ended.

Long Beach didn’t go down quietly though, stringing together two singles and a triple to tack on two more but weren’t able to finish the job as they fell 7-5.

Sunday Notes

Home Runs

Iowa State: Milaysia Ochoa (1), Carli Spelhaug (2), Isabelle Nosan (1)

Long Beach: N/A

 WP – Saya Swain (2-1): 5.1 IP, 7 hits, 5 runs (3 earned), 1 walk, 3 strikeouts

SV – N/A

LP – Shannon Haddad (0-2): 6.0 IP, 8 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts

 On Deck

Iowa State will return to action next weekend when it travels to Las Vegas for its second tournament of the season – the UNLV Desert Classic. The Cyclones will open tournament play against UC Santa Barbara on Friday, Feb, 16. Friday’s game is set to begin at 2:30 p.m. CT.