AMES — The play was already impressive in real time. But when the replay went viral on SportsCenter, ESPN and Major League Baseball’s official accounts, it became something else entirely.
It was a defining moment for Iowa State softball and junior third baseman McKenna Andrews.
The highlight came in game one of Iowa State’s series against Utah on April 25. With the Cyclones leading 5-1 in the bottom of the sixth, Utah’s leadoff hitter ripped a laser down the third base line.
Andrews, holding steady at the hot corner, leapt and tipped the ball with her glove. As it popped into the air, she tracked it while falling and secured it with a full-extension dive toward foul territory for the inning’s first out.
It didn’t take long for the clip to circulate. Within hours, the catch landed at No. 4 on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays and was reposted by ESPN, MLB and College Softball’s official channels.
“I’ve been doing this for 40 years, 31 at the college level, and I’ve only seen one other play like it,” Iowa State head coach Jamie Pinkerton said. “She leaped for the ball, tipped it up and somehow had the ability to find it again and make the play. It was one of the top two plays I’ve ever seen in my career.”
It was all instinct for Andrews.
“When something like that comes at you, it’s just reaction,” Andrews said. “That’s what you practice for. You make the routine plays, and every once in a while, you make those special ones.”
Andrews described the ball slowing down after the tip as “like a beach ball up there,” while she tracked it midair. Freshman shortstop Jessie Clemons, nearby on the play, gave one of the more memorable reactions, turning in disbelief as Andrews hit the ground with the ball in her glove.
“I think I was just as shocked as Jessie,” Andrews said. “I just didn’t show it the way she did.”
What made the catch even more remarkable was Andrews’ relative inexperience at third base. This season marks her first time playing the position full-time after shifting over from the middle infield.
“I’ve worked really hard to hone my craft at third,” Andrews said. “So to make a play like that, it meant a lot.”
Beyond the recognition, the moment energized Iowa State in a critical Big 12 matchup. The Cyclones went on to win the game and the series.
“It definitely fired us up,” Pinkerton said. “When you have a play that can change the energy like that, it’s a big deal.”
But Andrews said the biggest impact was on the sport itself as a whole.
“It’s cool for me, sure, but it’s even bigger for softball,” Andrews said. “We haven’t always been the most popular sport. Seeing that kind of national exposure, I think, is really good for all of us. It gives our team confidence, like, hey, we can be on ESPN too.”
The reflexes from Iowa State’s McKenna Andrews are insane
: @ESPN pic.twitter.com/vlPjRi8ovY
— MLB (@MLB) April 28, 2025
