The Iowa State softball team will host St. Thomas in a doubleheader Tuesday before traveling to Des Moines to face Drake Wednesday.
Iowa State resumed Big 12 play, traveling to Lawrence for a three-game series against Kansas, where it split a doubleheader Friday before a loss in extra innings Saturday.
Kansas capitalizes on a series win
The Jayhawks got off to a blistering start in game one, scoring 12 runs in the first three innings to take down the Cyclones 12-2 in five innings. Iowa State produced just three hits and left seven runners on base.
Game two told a different story. Early scoring from the Cyclones built a 4-0 lead through six innings before a late Kansas home run made the final 4-1.
Iowa State again recorded just four hits, but senior Jaiden Ralston delivered a strong outing, throwing six innings while allowing three hits and one run with three strikeouts to earn her third win of the season.
In the finale, Iowa State held a 2-0 lead entering the sixth inning before Kansas tied the game and walked it off in the eighth to secure the series.
The Cyclones recorded eight hits in the finale, with three players posting multiple hits, but could not hold off Kansas’ late push.
Iowa State moved to 28-21 overall and 8-13 in conference play.
Tommies bring balanced attack to Ames
Iowa State and St. Thomas have met once before, with the Cyclones earning a 12-7 home victory in 2024.
St. Thomas enters with a 32-14 overall record and a 10-4 mark in the Summit League. The Tommies are on a two-game winning streak and have won eight of their last 10 games, including victories over Wisconsin, South Dakota State, North Dakota State and Green Bay.
The Tommies hold a .310 team batting average, ranking second in the Summit League. Four hitters are batting above .300, led by graduate student Laken Lienhard at .402.
St. Thomas features four qualified hitters with an OPS above 1.000, with Lienhard leading at 1.344.
In the power category, redshirt senior Ella Cook leads the team with 14 home runs and 47 RBIs, while Lienhard follows with 12 home runs and 41 RBIs.
In the circle, St. Thomas leads the Summit League with a 2.58. The Tommies rely on a two-pitcher rotation featuring Cook and sophomore Ava Kleinfeldt.
Cook serves as the ace, holding a 1.82 ERA in 18 starts across 131 innings, with 14 complete games, 105 strikeouts and a .214 opponent batting average. Kleinfeldt complements her with a 3.21 ERA in 19 starts over 113.1 innings, posting 11 complete games with 65 strikeouts and 27 walks.
The doubleheader begins at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, with game two scheduled to start 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one.
Cyclones turn focus to Drake matchup
On Wednesday, Iowa State will go to Des Moines to face Drake for a 5 p.m. start.
The Cyclones are 6-4 in their last 10 meetings with the Bulldogs, including a 6-5 victory in eight innings March 25 in Ames.
Drake enters with a 13-34 overall record and a 7-18 mark in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Bulldogs are on a two-game losing streak and have gone 6-15 since facing Iowa State.
The Bulldogs hold a .266 team batting average, ranking second-to-last in the MVC.
Four hitters are batting above .300, led by freshman Ava Husak at .323.
Drake has three hitters with an OPS above .900, with Husak leading at 1.066.
Freshman Pearson Hall leads the team with seven home runs and 24 RBIs, while senior Tatum Aragon leads in RBIs with 31.
In the circle, Drake carries a 5.88 team ERA, among the highest in the MVC. Junior Peyton Driscoll leads the staff with a 6.05 ERA over 96 innings, with opponents hitting .343 against her.
Redshirt senior Jayme Scheck and junior Ashlynn Sheets round out the rotation with ERAs of 4.20 and 5.01 across a combined 132.2 innings. All three pitchers faced off against Iowa State earlier this season, allowing nine hits, nine walks and six runs in 7.2 innings.
