Iowa State softball pulled out an entertaining win Thursday night in game one of a three-game series against Texas Tech, with winds howling close to 30 mph at times.

But through the gusts, the Cyclones beat the Red Raiders in six and a half innings with a final score of 10-9. 

Iowa State was coming off a 1-2 series loss against Oklahoma State last weekend and knew it had some things to fix. 

One of the most nerve-wracking parts of the game came at the top of the seventh inning, as Texas Tech scored twice on a single from first baseman Ellie Bailey making it a one-score game.  

The suspense then filled the field as officials reviewed a play that was originally called safe on second base. 

After minutes of waiting, the call was overturned, resulting in a forced out and a win for the Cyclones. 

“If we play the game right and respect it, it’s going to go our way,” senior and designated player Makayla Ramos said. 

The Cyclones started off the game slow and trailed 6–0 as they entered the bottom of the third inning. 

The team faced pressure mainly against Texas Tech’s first baseman Ellie Bailey as she had four RBIs. 

Saya Swain was the starting pitcher for the Cyclones; however, Ellie Spelhaug came in and pitched all but one inning, earning herself a win. 

A two-run home run by right fielder Milaysia Ochoa and two RBIs from freshman Angelina Allen in the third inning put the Cyclones on the board. 

From there, they continued to pick up the speed. Center fielder Skyler Ramos scored on a Red Raider error to put the Cyclones in front, and from there, they never trailed again.

At the bottom of the third, Iowa State led 8–6. 

Further, in the third inning, Iowa State batted around and went through their lineup more than once, which doesn’t occur often. 

Ramos says she has been putting “self-induced” pressure on herself lately but that she let that all go Thursday night. 

The release of pressure earned her 3 RBIs and two doubles as she went to bat four times. Lea Nelson, Skyler Ramos and Carli Spelhaug scored off of her hits. 

People lead differently, and that leadership has radiated from player to player.

The Cyclones went from having seven errors in their game against Oklahoma State to having one error against Texas Tech. 

“It’s a team led group that we have,” Ramos said. 

Even with the continuous progress the team has made, head coach Jamie Pinkerton says they still have some kinks to work out.

Additionally, getting his team to relax and slow down was something that the team has been working on. “Sometimes the game speeds up,” Pinkerton said. 

The Cyclones seemed to slow down this time around and trust one another. 

Nonetheless, Pinkerton said they need to limit the high-stress innings and take the pressure off one another like the one they faced today in the 7th. 

The final stats for the Red Raiders were nine runs, 13 hits and three errors. The Cyclones had 10 runs, 11 hits and one error. 

Iowa State is now 2–5 in Big 12 play.

The Cyclones will continue their series with the Red Raiders with games at 4 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday at the Cyclone Sports Complex.