Iowa State came up just short in the series finale against Utah, falling 7-6 Saturday in Salt Lake City. The loss snapped the Cyclones’ five-game win streak and dropped them to 28-20 overall and 13-8 in Big 12 play.
Conference standings tighten
Despite the defeat, Iowa State held firm at third place in the Big 12 standings. Texas Tech (18-3) leads the conference, with Arizona (14-7) slightly ahead of the Cyclones in second.
Arizona State (14-10), BYU (12-9) and Oklahoma State (10-9) round out the top six. The top five teams receive a first-round bye in the Big 12 Tournament, adding weight to each remaining conference matchup.
Back-and-forth battle sees late-inning swings
Utah opened the scoring in the fourth inning with an RBI double, but Iowa State quickly responded in the fifth with a two-RBI single from freshman Jessie Clemons to grab the lead.
The Utes then answered back with a three-run homer in the bottom half of the fifth inning to retake control. The Cyclones fought back again in the sixth and plated three runs to surge ahead.
However, Utah capitalized once more and put up three runs in the bottom of the sixth to reclaim the lead for good. Iowa State added one more run in the seventh but couldn’t complete the rally.
Offense delivers but falls short
The Cyclones racked up 11 hits, with four players posting multi-hit games.
Freshman Sereniti Trice and junior McKenna Andrews paced the offense with three hits each, while Clemons and junior Tiana Poole added two hits apiece.
Andrews and Poole scored twice, while Clemons drove in four runs with a pair of two-RBI singles. Junior Ashley Minor chipped in with a sacrifice fly in the seventh.
Pitching falters late
Freshman Abby Huhn started in the circle and threw for 4.1 innings. She allowed six hits and four runs (three earned) with two strikeouts and two walks.
Sophomore Lauren Schurman entered in relief but surrendered three earned runs on four hits in one inning, including Utah’s go-ahead three-run homer.
Junior Jaiden Ralston closed out the game and recorded the final two outs on a double play.
Defensive miscues prove costly
Iowa State committed two errors, which led to one key unearned run. The Cyclones also turned two double plays to limit further damage.
Iowa State will aim to bounce back from the series-ending loss as it heads to Iowa City for game two of the Cy-Hawk rivalry series. First pitch is set for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday and the game will stream live on ESPN+.
