AMES — Iowa State softball defeated in-state rival Iowa Tuesday afternoon and secured the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk series win for the Cyclones.

The Cyclones rebounded from two consecutive shutout losses to No. 1 Oklahoma to produce five runs and eight hits offensively in front of record attendance at the Cyclone Sports Complex.

Iowa State avoided a late comeback effort from Iowa and won by a final score of 5-4.

“It’s a special one,” freshman Angelina Allen said about the first Cy-Hawk softball game played since 2019.

Allen scored a home run over the right-field wall in the third inning and scored two runs in the ballgame. The home run was the third of the season for Allen and gave Iowa State a 4-2 lead.

Playing in her first Cy-Hawk matchup, the Moreno Valley, Calif., native said the emotional weight of the rivalry game hadn’t registered until she took the field.

Allen has produced a .311 batting average and 24 RBIs so far in her first collegiate season.

Iowa jumped out to a one-run lead in the first inning, but Iowa State responded with three of its own in the bottom of the frame.

Back-to-back base hits from Milaysia Ochoa and Alesia Ranches put the Cyclones ahead. Iowa State held the lead for the rest of the game.

The right fielder Ochoa recorded the final out with runners on second and third while Iowa was threatening the Iowa State lead in the seventh inning.

“When Milaysia [Ochoa] caught that popup, it was like ‘whoa, we did it,’” Allen said. “This is our state.”

Three singles from Iowa and one dropped pop-fly in left field created two runs for the Hawkeyes in the seventh. With the score 5-4, the winning run was on second base.

After several mound visits, Iowa State stuck with relief pitcher Ellie Spelhaug. With two outs in the inning, Spelhaug’s infield took the pressure off during the conference, she said. The junior from Bettendorf, Iowa, looked to create an out in the field with a trusted defense behind her.

Iowa’s Grace Banes hit a fly ball out to right field, giving Iowa State the final out and the win.

Spelhaug pitched 5.2 innings and allowed four hits while pitching in relief of Saya Swain. With Karlie Charles briefly sidelined for Iowa State, Spelhaug has pitched at least one inning in each of Iowa State’s last five games.

“I’m going to do what I can to help this team,” Spelhaug said. “If that means coming in for tough innings and getting tough outs then whatever it takes.”

Entering the matchup, Iowa State held a 12-11 lead in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series. The softball matchup was the final meeting of the two athletic programs in the 2021-2022 season and decided the series all-sport trophy.

Pinkerton acknowledged the extra weight leading up to Tuesday’s game. The head coach made clear this is not a regular non-conference game, especially for the Iowans on the team, he said.

“I’ve been looking forward to this since I became a Cyclone,” Spelhaug said. “The rivalry made it that much more important to go out and beat them.”

Spelhaug also played in her first Cy-Hawk game. Iowa softball did not play out of conference games in 2021, and the teams did not play before the 2020 season was cut short. Spelhaug received the pitching win and moved her total to eight wins on the season.

The announced official attendance of 1,450 recorded a new program record for Iowa State softball.

The record crowd saw Iowa State commit one error and leave two runners on base. The two metrics have defined several of Iowa State’s attempts at marquee wins throughout the season. By completing Tuesday evening’s win, Iowa State snapped a five-game losing streak.

Iowa State will next face Baylor in a three-game weekend series. The team travels to Waco, Texas, with significant momentum, facing an even conference opponent, Iowa State head coach Jamie Pinkerton said.

“You’ve got to coach them and love them,” Pinkerton said. “And tell them you have faith in them.”

As Iowa State’s head coach, Pinkerton is now 3-1 against Iowa. 

“I just told them when we got off the field, ‘way to finish, way to be resilient and I love you,'” Pinkerton said.