AMES — The Iowa State softball team fell short in a home run-heavy game, with each team hitting four. The No. 14 Arizona Wildcats held on to earn the 10-7 game one victory.
“Well, I mean, we had opportunities,” head coach Jamie Pinkerton said. “When it came down to it, they made plays and pitches and we didn’t.”
The wind element was in effect with a 13 mph wind and up to 20 mph gusts blowing out to left field.
The home-run barrage started in the first inning as sophomore Ava Mullen got the start for the Cyclones.
After two runners reached base to start the inning, Mullen surrendered one on a one-out sacrifice fly, but a two-out walk brought up freshman Arizona Kez Lucas to rope a three-run blast on a 0-1 count, her fifth of the season.
With two outs in the bottom of the first and senior Tatum Johnson on second, sophomore Kadence Shepherd launched a line drive over the left field wall, for her ninth of the season and fifth straight game with a home run.
“Honestly, I’m just hitting what’s given to me,” Shepherd said.
After the Wildcats added two more runs in the second off another sacrifice fly and a triple off senior relief pitcher Jaiden Ralston, the Wildcats added to the home run count in the third.
The Cyclones got a quick two outs via a flyout and a strikeout, but Wildcats junior Tele Jennings and sophomore Jenna Sniffen launched back-to-back solo homers, stretching their lead to 8-2.
The bottom of the third was no different. Johnson led off, getting hit by a pitch, bringing up senior Reagan Bartholomew to stroke her ninth homer of the season on a 1-1 count.
With one out, senior Sydney Malott joined the fun, launching her eighth of the season, followed by a two-out walk from sophomore Victoria Prado to bring up senior Tiana Poole to add to the count with her third homer of the season, bringing the Wildcats’ lead to 8-7.
“I think coming off the injury, it’s just about being happy that I’m out here and playing every day,” Bartholomew said.
As the Cyclones bats went cold, Arizona finished the count, extending it’s lead in the fifth inning with a solo homer from senior Sydney Stewart, stopping the count at eight total homers for the game.
The Cyclones’ four home runs tie their program record for four homers in a game, set last season against Oklahoma State.
The eight combined home runs are the most in a game since March 21, when UCLA and Rutgers combined for nine homers in UCLA’s 16-5 victory. The record for most combined homers in a game was set by the Oklahoma Sooners in 2021, when they hit 13 to smash the previous record of 10 set by BYU in 2008 and UTSA in 2004.
The Cyclones are set to face off against No. 14 Arizona for the final game of the series at 1 p.m. Monday.
