February 8, 2024
PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico - Tatum Johnson had a pair of hits including a two-run homer and drove in four leading Iowa State to a 12-1 win over Utah Valley in a six inning run rule game in the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge at Nancy Almaraz Stadium.
Johnson was 2 for 2 while also drawing a pair of walks and scoring a run in the win.
Carli Spelhaug’s RBI ground out got the Cyclones on the board in the top of the first.
Johnson’s two-run homer highlighted a three-run third as Iowa State took a 4-0 lead.
Utah Valley got on the board in the third when Britney Moreno drew a bases loaded walk with nobody out, but Saya Swain came on in relief of starter Karlie Charles and got a pair of pop ups and a strikeout to end the threat.
Iowa State got two runs in the fourth as Milaysia Ochoa tripled and scored on a fielder’s choice by Angelina Allen. Johnson added a run scoring infield single pushing the lead to 6-1.
The Cyclones sent 11 batters to the plate in the sixth adding six runs for a 12-1 lead.
Swain got the win in relief as she allowed just two hits and struck out four in three innings of work.
Ochoa was 3 for 4 with two runs scored while Allen and Ashley Minor also had two hits each for Iowa State.
Mya Higareda had two hits for Utah Valley.