AMES, Iowa – Iowa State (23-15, 0-9 Big 12) fell 7-6 to Drake (8-25, 2-10 MVC) on Tuesday afternoon at the Cyclone Sports Complex. The Cyclones jumped ahead 6-0 early, but were undone by a five-run Drake rally in the top of the seventh inning.
Drake 7, Iowa State 6
The Cyclones got off to a fast start, taking a first-inning lead when Sami Williams and Mikayla Ramos collected back-to-back doubles to put Iowa State in front, 1-0. Later in the inning, Alesia Ranches drove a single through the left side to score Ramos and Milaysia Ochoa, giving ISU a 3-0 lead after one.
In the bottom of the second, Sami Williams hit a RBI triple that plated Carli Spelhaug, and then scored on a Bulldog error. Ramos scored her second run of the day on another Drake error later in the inning, extending Iowa States lead to 6-0 after just two innings.
However, Drake pitcher Nicole Timmons entered midway through the second inning and was phenomenal in relief. Timmons allowed just three hits and no runs in 5.1 innings of relief work.
Iowa State freshman hurler Saya Swain put together a quality start for the Cyclones. The native of Paris, Texas, went 6.1 innings with a career-high eight strikeouts and did not give up a run until the bottom of the sixth.
The Bulldogs scored their first two runs of the day in the sixth, the second of which came on a wild pitch, cutting the deficit to 6-2. The Cyclones would take that lead into the seventh inning. However, the Bulldogs churned out two more runs, followed by a three-run home run by Laura Anderson to give Drake the 7-6.
Senior Skyler Ramos hit a two-out triple to center field in the bottom of the seventh to give the Cyclones life, but they were unable to bring her home.
On Deck
Iowa State hits the road to take on UNI in Cedar Falls on Wednesday at 3 p.m. CT at Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex.
