AMES – Iowa State hosted its first Big 12 home series of the season in a doubleheader against Arizona State, in which the Cyclones secured a 4-3 victory in game one before they fell 18-4 in game two. 

The results push the Cyclones to 15-15 overall and 5-3 in conference play.

Game one: Iowa State 4, Arizona State 3

The Cyclones set the tone early with a two-out RBI single in the first inning, but the Sun Devils responded with two runs in the second. 

Iowa State reclaimed the lead in the fourth on a throwing error and extended its advantage in the fifth with a two-RBI double. Arizona State scratched across another run in the sixth, but the Cyclones held on for the win.

Iowa State head coach Jamie Pinkerton praised his team’s performance in the opener, highlighting their ability to battle through tough conditions.

“I think we did a lot of things well and had some timely hits,” Pinkerton said. “It was another top 50 win and those are the kinds of things we have to do to build our resume. We just have to become more consistent.”

Offensively, Iowa State tallied six hits, drew three walks and struck out just three times. Senior Angelina Allen led the way with two hits, while freshman Karlee Ford recorded her first career hit with a leadoff double. Sophomore Isabelle Nosan drove in two runs with her double and junior Tatum Johnson added an RBI single.

In the circle, freshman Sami Potvin started and allowed two earned runs over three innings. Junior Jaiden Ralston and sophomore Lauren Schurman combined for 3.1 innings of relief, with Schurman earning the win. 

“I think I did pretty good,” Schurman said. “I could have done a little better getting ahead, but my team made it easy by making great plays behind me.”

Game two: Arizona State 18, Iowa State 4

The Sun Devils came out swinging in game two, scoring six runs in the first inning and adding five more unanswered runs across the next two frames. Iowa State responded with a three-run homer in the third but couldn’t slow Arizona State’s offense, which piled on seven more runs to enforce the run rule after five innings.

Errors proved costly for the Cyclones, with three defensive miscues leading to eight unearned runs. Pinkerton acknowledged the team’s struggles.

“We didn’t get off to a good start,” Pinkerton said. “We made mistakes, gave up a six-spot, and then missed an opportunity with the bases loaded. If we get a hit there, it’s a different game.”

Despite the lopsided loss, Allen remained focused on the bigger picture. 

“The first game, I thought we played really great,” Allen said. “The second game, we just let it get away from us a little bit. We just need to play softball, cut down the errors, hit with runners in scoring position and it’ll come together.”

Iowa State’s offense totaled eight hits in game two, as Allen delivered a perfect 3-for-3 performance. Nosan provided a bright spot with her first home run of the season, a three-run shot that scored Allen and Johnson.

Four pitchers took the circle for the Cyclones, with freshman Abby Huhn starting and lasting just 1.1 innings. Ralston, Potvin and sophomore Aziza Rodriguez, who made her first appearance in nearly a month, also saw action.

Despite the tough second game, Schurman believes the Cyclones can bounce back.

“We kind of dropped in the second one, but it doesn’t take away from what we accomplished today,” Schurman said. “We just need to come out better and compete more tomorrow.”

The Cyclones and Sun Devils will conclude their series at 1 p.m. Saturday. The game will stream live on ESPN+.