DES MOINES, Iowa – In a back-and-forth game in the state’s capital, Iowa State (19-28) defeated in-state foe Drake (21-24) at Buel Field on Wednesday afternoon in a wet, damp afternoon affair.
The Cyclones looked like they were going to run away with things early, plating five first-inning runs as the first five batters all reached – four of them via doubles. Drake snatched all the momentum back in the fourth, using its highest single-inning output of the season to plate eight and take the lead. A three-run ISU bomb in the fifth tied things up before a Milaysia Ochoa run on a wild pitch sealed the deal in the sixth.
Both Ochoa and Tatum Johnson had two hits on the day, while Ashly Minor drew a pair of free passes. Carli Spelhaug had a team-high three RBI – all coming on her seventh homer of the season in the fifth – while Angelina Allen, Alesia Ranches, Johnson and Tiana Poole all tallied one RBI.
Four Cyclones saw action in the circle, with Tatum Johnson getting the start. Johnson allowed two pitched three innings before being relieved by Aziza Rodriguez. After Rodriguez came Karlie Charles (4-7) who went for 1.2 innings. Charles gave up one run on two hits before Jaiden Ralston (3) closed things down. Ralston, who picked up the save, fanned four of her six batters faced and locked down the Bulldog bats.
Drake’s Frankie Rita had a game-high three hits on the day while Aby Martin had three RBI and Skylar Rigby had three walks drawn. Destiny Lewis and Carey Koenig also had multi-hit games for the Bulldogs as Drake outhit the Cyclones on the night, 10-7.
Drake used three pitchers on the evening, as Emma Richards (1-1) was the pitcher of record. Richards tossed 1.2 frames and allowed one run on a wild pitch. Emma Dighton pitched the seventh, allowing no hits in her three batters faced, securing a strikeout.
How it Happened
Iowa State came out of the gates swinging, rattling off three straight doubles, courtesy of Ochoa, Allen and Ranches, to start the game and going up 2-0. Following a Minor walk, Tatum Johnson picked up where Ranches left off, doubling to right center and plating a third run of the inning and advancing Minor to third. Ashley would then score on a wild pitch with Johnson moving to third before a Tiana Poole groundout brought in a fifth and final run.
The next two frames went scoreless, as neither team was able to bring runs in. The Bulldogs were able to put two aboard in the third, gathering their first hits of the game, but stranded them both as the game turned to the fourth.
After holding the Cyclone bats in check again, Drake exploded for its most productive inning of the season, plating eight runs and taking an 8-5 lead. The innings featured four homers form the Bulldogs, two of which came from Carey Koenig who led the frame off with a long ball before coming back around and doing it again. All eight of the Bulldog runs would come in the fourth.
In the fifth, ISU came right back swinging. Minor drew her second walk of the game and a Tiana Poole single put runners on first and second. Then, stepping up to the plate with one out and two on, Spelhaug clobbered a ball into left center to knot the game up at eight apiece.
After holding Drake to just a hit in the fifth, Iowa State notched the game-winning run in the sixth thanks to some heads-up baserunning. An Ochoa single and Allen walk put runners on first and second. Both were able to advance on a wild pitch and then an at-bat later, did so again with Ochoa coming home on the second passed ball of the inning.
Jaiden Ralston would enter for the Cyclones in the bottom of the sixth and completely shut down the Bulldogs. Ralston rung up the side in the sixth and tacked on one more K in the seventh as she collected her third save of the season as ISU hit win number 19.
On Deck
Iowa State will be back in action this weekend, when it welcomes UCF to the Cyclone Sports Complex for the regular season series finale. The Cyclones and Knights will wrap Big 12 play playing a three-game set with action beginning on Friday at 4 p.m. All weekend action will be streamed live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
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