Iowa State hosts new Big 12 opponent UCF for its final homestand of the season over the weekend in Ames, Iowa.
The Cyclones earned a hard-fought 9-8 win in Des Moines, Iowa, on Wednesday against in-state rival Drake following the strong pitching from Jaiden Ralston to get a third save of the season.
Iowa State opened the game with three straight doubles from Milaysia Ochoa, Angelina Allen and Alesia Ranches, driving in two runners. Tatum Johnson followed an Ashley Minor walk with another double. Minor scored on a wild pitch, and Johnson scored on a groundout, resulting in a 5-0 lead after the first inning.
The Bulldogs responded with a big inning of their own, hitting four home runs in the fourth inning against Cyclone freshman Aziza Rodriguez. Following the barrage of home runs, the Bulldogs led 8-5.
Carli Spelhaug tied it up in the fifth with a three-run home run, and Ochoa scored on a passed ball in the sixth. Ralston struck out the side in the sixth and escaped the seventh with two runners left on base, giving Iowa State a 9-8 win.
The win improved the Cyclones’ record to 19-28 and gave them their fifth away win of the season.
The Cyclones have played the Golden Knights five times, coming away with one win. The most recent matchup between the two was at the Louisville Slugger Invitational in Fullerton, California, in 2022, where UCF won 7-5.
The Golden Knights have a 28-21 record but are on a three-game losing streak following a difficult series against No. 2 Oklahoma. UCF is sixth in the Big 12 with a 10-14 conference record, right behind Baylor and Kansas, who both have an 11-13 conference record.
Jada Cody, in a fifth year at UCF, leads the way with 52 hits and 86 total bases. Cody has a .338 average and has used experience to an advantage, leading the Golden Knights with 20 extra-base hits, five of which were home runs.
Senior pitcher Sarah Willis has been dominant for UCF all year, striking out 92 batters in 24 appearances. The 92 strikeouts rank sixth in the Big 12.
The entire pitching staff for UCF has found success this year, boasting a 3.23 combined ERA across the seven pitchers.
For Iowa State, Ochoa hopes to keep the hitting going from a strong 2-4 performance against Drake. Additionally, pitching will need to hold up like it did in the first three innings against the Bulldogs.
The first pitch of the Iowa State-UCF series will be at 4 p.m. Friday at the Cyclone Sports Complex in Ames, Iowa.
