February 11, 2024
PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico - Ashley Minor’s two-run single in the seventh broke a 3-3 tie as Iowa State scored five runs in the inning to beat Long Beach State 7-5 to close out the first session of the Puerto Vallarta Challenge at Nancy Almaraz Stadium.
Long Beach State led 3-2 heading to the seventh before the Cyclones bats came alive.
Isabelle Nosan hit a pinch-hit homer in her first career at-bat to lead off the seventh tying the game 3-3 for Iowa State.
Carli Spelhaug added a sacrifice fly before an RBI single by Olivia Wardlow capped the five-run seventh as Iowa State improved to 2-2 on the season.
The Beach (0-4) would not go quietly scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh keyed by an RBI triple by Jocylyn Vidal.
Malaysia Ochoa and Saya Swain earned session I All-tournament honors for Iowa State while Eryka Gonzales and Shannon Haddad were named to the all-tournament team for The Beach.
Long Beach State had two hits and a walk, but left the bases loaded in the bottom of the first.
Lilyanna Martinez’s two-run double highlighted a three-run third as the Beach took advantage of a Cyclone error scoring a pair of unearned runs on three hits for the 3-0 lead.
Ochoa got Iowa State on the board with a solo blast to left center in the fifth cutting the deficit to 3-1. The Cyclones would leave the tying runs in scoring position.
The Cyclones got on the board again in the sixth, thanks to the long ball, as Spelhaug belted a solo homer to left making it 3-2.
Angelina Allen had three hits to lead Iowa State in the win while Jacquelyn Bicknar had three hits for the Beach.
Swain (2-1) got the win in relief as she worked 5 1/3 innings and scattered seven hits while allowing three earned runs while walking one and fanning three.