AMES — Iowa State won 7-6 in Friday’s game against the Kansas Jayhawks behind a four-run seventh inning.
Junior Reagan Bartholomew won the game with a walk-off sacrifice fly that brought in junior Tatum Johnson. A chilly Cyclone Sports Complex played host to the game.
The win secured another series victory for the Cyclones after they claimed the first two games against the Jayhawks. At 11-6 in conference play, Iowa State sits in third in the Big 12 behind Arizona and Texas Tech.
The Cyclones are 7-3 in their last 10 and with the hot streak, they may have finally gotten over the .500 hump for good. They now sit at 23-18 overall.
Head coach Jamie Pinkerton was proud of the fight the team showed at the end of the game after being down most of the game.
“They’ve shown a lot of grit,” Pinkerton said. “That was a gritty win.”
Iowa State had a mountain ahead of itself when it went into the bottom of the seventh inning. Down 6-3 and at the bottom of the lineup, the Cyclones had some work to do. Kaelee Washington began the inning in the circle for Kansas.
Junior McKenna Andrews came to the plate to begin the inning. Batting ninth, she stepped up in a big way and singled through the right side.
“My job is really just to get on base and turn the lineup over to get back to the leadoff spot,” Andrews said. “I was just thinking ‘hard line drive, get on base and do my job.’”
Back at the top of the lineup, freshman Sereniti Trice was up to bat and she kept the ball rolling with a single to right field. After the hit, Lizzy Ludwig relieved Washington in the circle for the Jayhawks.
Freshman Jessie Clemons nearly tied it up with a deep shot to left center, but after bouncing off the wall, Andrews scored, and Clemons and Trice sat on first and third. Clemons then advanced to second on a passed ball.
Johnson was up next and got on base with a two-RBI single, with Trice and Clemons both scoring. Johnson’s clutch play tied the game up at 6-6 with zero outs in the bottom of the final inning.
Junior Sydney Malott reached first base on an error by shortstop Hailey Cripe, who had two home runs earlier in the game.
Senior Angelina Allen then walked to load the bases and victory was in sight.
Bartholomew came to the plate ready to end the game. At the end of a grueling 10-pitch at-bat, with a full count, she drove the ball to left field for a sacrifice fly. Johnson tagged up and easily made it home to secure the game-winning run for Iowa State.
With the comeback win, the Cyclones will have the momentum going into the series finale. However, fatigue may become a factor as Iowa State plays its fifth game in seven days.
Iowa STate will see if it can extend its win streak to five at 1 p.m. Saturday from the Cyclone Sports Complex. The action will be live-streamed on ESPN+.
