AMES – Iowa State faced off Wednesday against Des Moines Area Community College in a nail-biting contest that stretched into extra innings. After a slow start offensively, the Cyclones found themselves trailing 2-0 by the third inning.
An Iowa State home run in the fourth inning and an RBI double in the sixth brought the game to a stalemate, keeping both teams locked in a defensive battle. But the real drama unfolded in the 10th inning when the Cyclones’ offense erupted, scoring five runs to claim a thrilling 7-3 victory.
Abby Huhn shines in debut
Abby Huhn, a pitcher from Carlsbad, California, came to Iowa State with a stellar high school career. From being a four-year starter to holding a 1.66 ERA while at Mission Hills High School, she dominated with her 200 strikeouts and her career-best with 16 strikeouts in a game. Not to mention, her batting average was .370 all during her high school run.
Huhn dominated with two massive innings for the Cyclones. In the fifth, she was part of a double play as she caught a hit and threw it to first for a runner, totaling two outs.
The sixth inning would end up being her best inning, as she had a strikeout with the bases loaded. As the pressure took over, she was able to get out of that inning with a ground ball to avoid any runs scored.
The performance from Huhn prevented a serious chance for the Bears to take a big lead. She took over where it was needed and got the job done in her two pitched innings despite this being her first collegiate game.
“I thought I did pretty well, first collegiate game I had some nerves going in there,” Huhn said. “I’m just looking forward to getting better every game.”
Reagan Bartholomew brings the offense to life
Infielder Reagan Bartholomew, a junior transfer student from Miami University of Ohio came to Iowa State with a great record. She had a .348 batting average with 17 home runs and 49 RBIs in the 2023-24 season. Her talent with the RedHawks clearly transferred to Iowa State quickly.
Up until the bottom of the fourth, the Cyclones had nothing on the board. Then, Bartholomew hit a home run to deep left field to give Iowa State a run. Bartholomew made a quick impact on this Cyclones offense which just started their fall season. She helped set the tone for Iowa State’s win over the Bears.
“It felt great,” Bartholomew said. “It helped push the tempo a little bit for us.”
Her home run was at the beginning of the Cyclones game and her career here at Iowa State.
“I hope it accelerates and continues to improve to help the team out a little bit more,” Bartholomew said.
As this season continues, the talent of Bartholomew is sure to improve, and she should be in a great place to be an upperclassmen role model for this young Iowa State team.
Defensive struggles early on
The game didn’t start in the Cyclones’ favor defensively. In the third inning, a pair of defensive miscues gave DMACC an early 2-0 lead.
A miscommunication between pitcher Sami Potvin and infielder Ashley Minor allowed a bunt single, followed by an error at third base by McKenna Andrews that loaded the bases. The Bears capitalized on the confusion, scoring the first run on a fielder’s choice, where no one covered home plate after a ball trickled off the end of the bat.
Then, a sacrifice fly extended DMACC’s lead to 2-0. Iowa State managed to escape the inning, but the defensive errors made the early part of the game challenging.
After the game, Cyclones head coach Jamie Pinkerton acknowledged the defensive struggles but remained optimistic.
“We’ve got to clean some things up, but they’re getting experience together,” Pinkerton said. “Almost every position player was shifted around during the game as the coaching staff tested different combinations to find the right defensive fit.”
Pitching shines despite tough situations
While the defense faltered early, Iowa State’s pitching staff held strong throughout the game. Each pitcher that saw action on the mound combined for a solid performance over 10 innings and allowed only three runs.
Despite being put in high-pressure situations due to defensive errors, the pitchers kept the Cyclones within striking distance.
“I thought they did a great job,” Pinkerton said. “We didn’t help them defensively, but they battled.”
Jaiden Ralston, Aziza Rodriguez, Lauren Schurman, Potvin and Huhn all delivered stellar outings, keeping the game close until Iowa State’s offense finally broke through in extra innings.
With their first win of the fall season secured, the Cyclones will next take on North Iowa Area Community College at the Cyclone Sports Complex. The game is set for 3 p.m. Sunday and the team hopes to carry the momentum from their thrilling extra-innings victory into the matchup.
