A tornado watch turned into a Cyclone warning Tuesday afternoon as Iowa State (25-17, 5-10 Big 12) mashed two home runs in their 8-0 defeat of South Dakota (10-29-1, 2-7 Summit). Under cloudy skies and 17-mph winds at the Cyclone Sports Complex, the Iowa State offense provided all the electricity needed to short-circuit the Coyotes in a five-inning, run-rule victory.
The Cyclones established dominance early in the bottom of the first inning, but they had to wait out the weather to finish the job.
Two pitches into Victoria Prado’s at-bat in the bottom of the first, the game was delayed for 53 minutes, beginning at 4:21 p.m.
Once play resumed, Prado grounded out, but the early cushion was more than enough for starter Jaiden Ralston, who turned in a masterful performance in the circle. Ralston dismantled the South Dakota lineup, surrendering just a pair of hits – both to Kiya Johnson – while striking out four batters on only 57 pitches.
The afternoon was headlined by two massive home runs. Karlee Ford provided a steady spark, finishing the game with two walks and three RBIs, including a home run and a stolen base.
The definitive blow came in the bottom of the fifth inning with two outs.
Isabelle Nosan stepped to the plate and delivered a clutch grand slam, her second hit of the season, which brought the score to 8-0 which triggered the walk-off victory.
Dubuque native and Hempstead alumna Peyton Paulsen took the loss for the Coyotes, she issued five walks over 4.2 innings.
