WACO, Texas – The Cyclones (12-18, 3-6 Big 12) fell in the series finale to a top-25 Baylor (19-12, 3-9 Big 12) squad on Saturday afternoon, 7-4, in the final game of ISU’s March slate.
After going over a week without playing, the Cyclones took one of three games against the Bears over the weekend, securing their first ranked-road win of the season in the process.
After the Cyclones jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, Baylor scored four unanswered runs in the bottom of the first and second innings to go up 4-1. A three-run shot from Tiana Poole in the third tied things up, but a three-run fourth frame from the Bears proved to be the difference.
Both Poole and Milaysia Ochoa had two hits on the day to lead the team. Poole tied a career-high with four RBI on the afternoon, as the sophomore accounted for all of the Cyclones’ run production. Angelina Allen, McKenna Andrews and Olivia Wardlow also notched hits.
Karlie Charles started the game pitching for ISU and was relieved by Jaiden Ralston. Ralston (2-4) pitched 3.2 innings and allowed five runs – of which only two were earned. Lauren Schurman finished the game for ISU, pitching the final two innings without surrendering a run.
Baylor’s Emily Hott and Aliyah Binford each had two RBI on the day, while four different Bears had at least two hits. BU’s RyLee Crandall (9-5) made her third-straight appearance against the Cyclones, again pitching a complete game. She gave up four runs (three earned) and struck out five.
How it Happened
After threatening in the first inning the past two games, Iowa State finally took advantage of first inning base runners, as Poole drove in Ochoa with an RBI single to start things off and put the Cyclones up a run early.
The Bears wasted little time responding, tying things up immediately with Hott who took the third pitch she saw over the fence for a leadoff homer to make it one-all. After a single and advancement on error, Shaylon Govan singled down the left field line to drive in a second run and put the Bears up 2-1.
BU added another pair of runs in the second inning, leading off the frame with a double before a Hott triple made it 3-1. A sac fly from Presleigh Pilon drove in a fourth run and after two, Baylor led by three.
It was a new ballgame in the third, as Angelina Allen and Alesia Ranches both reached to bring up Poole with two runners on. Poole promptly clobbered her second homer of the season to even the game up at four apiece.
Neither side had much luck in their next at-bat, but the Bears were eventually able to add three more in the bottom of the fourth. After a groundout and a strikeout, Iowa State looked well on its way to getting out of the inning, but a Cyclone error kept the Bears alive. Baylor capitalized on the opportunity, driving in three runs with some timely two-out hitting to drive its lead to 7-4.
The Cyclones got their first two batters on in the fifth after a pair of hits but three straight punchouts from Crandall stymied the rally.
Iowa State got just two more hits in the remaining two innings and was unable to pull off a second-straight come-from-behind victory, dropping Saturday’s game.
Saturday Notes
Home Runs
Iowa State: Tiana Poole (2)
Baylor: Emily Hott (6)
WP – RyLee Crandall (9-5): 7.0 IP, 7 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), 3 walks, 5 strikeouts
SV – N/A
LP – Jaiden Ralston (2-4): 3.2 IP, 6 hits, 5 runs (2 earned), 0 walks, 4 strikeouts
On Deck
The Cyclones will return to the Cyclone Sports Complex on Tuesday, April 2, to welcome the UNI Panthers for a midweek matchup to kick off the month. Tuesday’s game is scheduled to start at 4 p.m.
