Iowa State hit the road to face Utah and came away with a 6-2 victory in game one of the three-game set, extending its winning streak to four games.
With the win, Iowa State improved to 12-7 in Big 12 play and 27-19 overall to move into third place in the conference standings. Texas Tech (16-2) and Arizona (14-7) remain ahead, while Arizona State (13-8) and BYU (12-8) trail closely behind.
Cyclones capitalize early, keep the pressure on
Iowa State jumped ahead in the first inning and scored twice on a wild pitch and an RBI single. Utah answered with an RBI double in the fourth, but the Cyclones responded with a three-run burst in the fifth.
Iowa State strung together an RBI single, a fielder’s choice and capitalized on another wild pitch to extend the lead to 5-1.
The Utes scratched across another run in the sixth on an RBI single, but Iowa State sealed the game with an RBI double in the seventh.
Bats stay hot with extra-base power
Iowa State racked up 10 hits, two walks and one hit batter, striking out just three times while stranding seven runners. Three Cyclones tallied multi-hit games, led by junior Tatum Johnson, who went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
Senior Angelina Allen added two doubles and an RBI, while freshman Sereniti Trice also collected two hits, including a triple. Junior Sydney Malott chipped in with an RBI single in the first.
Ralston and Schurman deliver steady pitching
Junior Jaiden Ralston made her 11th start of the season and tossed four strong innings, allowing just one hit and one earned run while facing 14 batters to pick up the win.
Sophomore Lauren Schurman earned the save, finished the final three innings and allowed four hits, one earned run and struck out one. Between them, the duo kept Utah’s offense contained throughout.
Clean defense fuels victory
Iowa State played flawless defense and committed no errors while capitalizing on two Utah miscues, which led to a pair of unearned Cyclone runs.
Iowa State will aim to continue its momentum and secure the series win in game two at 1 p.m. Saturday in Salt Lake City. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
