Third base player McKenna Andrews (6) threw on the run to first base after grabbing a bunted ball at Cyclones Sports Complex in Ames, Iowa on May 2, 2025.
So, here’s the scoop, folks! Iowa State managed to even up the weekend series against Baylor with a nail-biting 2-1 walk-off victory on Saturday. With some solid pitching and clutch late-game plays, the Cyclones improved their overall record to 29-22 and their Big 12 record to 14-9.
After giving up a run in the second inning, the Cyclones tightened up their defense and shut down the Bears for the rest of the game. It was junior McKenna Andrews who came through with the game-winning hit in the bottom of the seventh. With two outs on the board, she smacked an RBI single to right center, bringing in sophomore Isabella Nosan from second base and sealing the deal for Iowa State.
Head coach Jamie Pinkerton had some words of wisdom to share after the game: “We just stayed the course and kind of picked away at it. We were a lot cleaner defensively and on the mound today, scattering seven hits and not letting anything really roll up.”
Now, let’s talk about how it all went down. Baylor drew first blood in the second inning with a single that brought in a run after a bit of an obstruction situation at third base. But Iowa State wasn’t about to let the Bears run away with it. Senior Angelina Allen kicked things off in the bottom of the inning with a double, and then freshman Karlee Ford stepped up to the plate and knocked her in with a double of her own to tie the game.
From there on out, it was all about the defense and the pitching.
Junior Jaiden Ralston took the mound, pitched four solid innings, and only allowed one run on six hits. She handed the ball over to sophomore Lauren Schurman, who shut down the Bears for three scoreless innings, giving up just one hit and striking out a batter to pick up her 14th win of the season.
Schurman had this to say about her performance: “I really just wanted to go at them. In my past couple of games, I was kind of dancing around the zone, but I knew I had to trust myself and my defense. We’ve been working on walks and it was good to cut them down in a tight game like this.”
The Cyclones also came up big with some key defensive plays, turning a crucial double play in the third inning and gunning down a runner at third in the fourth to shut down scoring opportunities for Baylor.
Fast forward to the seventh inning. Ford started things off with her second double of the day but ended up getting picked off at second. Nosan then drew a walk and advanced on a groundout, setting the stage for Andrews to play the hero.
When asked about her game-winning hit, Andrews said, “Coming up with two outs and the winning run on second, it can be nerve-racking. But I just took it one pitch at a time. I knew that pitch was coming. I had chased it earlier in the game, and this time I squared it up.”
Offensively, the Cyclones racked up seven hits, five of which were doubles, and only struck out three times. Ford led the charge with two hits and an RBI, while Allen, Andrews, and junior Sydney Malott also chipped in with doubles of their own.
Coach Pinkerton stressed the importance of the win as the team gears up for the rubber match on Sunday: “It’s the last game of the regular season, and it’s a very important one. We’ll see how Lauren and Jaiden feel, but we’ll put a plan together. We need to finish strong.”
The series finale is set to kick off at noon on Sunday at the Cyclone Sports Complex, and you can catch the action live on ESPN+. It’s bound to be a showdown you won’t want to miss!
