Rain-Shortened Weekend Ends In Split

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – After run-ruling Iona (2-5, 0-0 MAAC), 11-1, in the first of two games on Sunday, Iowa State (7-4, 0-0 Big 12) fell, 8-9, in extra innings to Penn State (3-3, 0-0 Big Ten). Senior Tori Torrescano hit her 30th career homerun against PSU, becoming the first Cyclone to ever reach 30 homers.

Torrescano's two-out, two-run bomb came in the top of the sixth against the Nittany Lions, giving Iowa State an 8-4 lead that Penn State would eventually erase in its comeback win.

Junior hurler Taylor Smith (2-1) was credited with both decisions on the day, throwing a complete game against Iona and giving up the winning run, unearned, to Penn State in the Cyclones' first extra-innings contest of the season.

After Iowa State did not score in the top of the eighth, the Nittany Lions moved their runner at second base, placed on the base by the international tiebreaker rule, to third on a groundout and scored the deciding run on a sacrifice fly. Smith faced six batters in one and two-thirds innings of work, allowing one hit, an unearned run and walking none while fanning two. Torrescano received a no-decision after six innings in the circle.

The afternoon game was back-and-forth, with both teams coming up big on offense. The Cyclones jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second, aided by patience at the plate that yielded four walks, two for runs.

A grand slam from Cassidy Bell in the Nittany Lion third put PSU on top briefly before Sara Davison delivered a two-run RBI single in the fifth to give Iowa State the 6-4 lead that was extended by Torrescano's second homer of the season.

After that, it was all PSU, who gained a run in the sixth and put up three more runs to tie the game, 8-8, in the seventh on the back of Bell's second long ball of the day that plated two. Penn State's sac fly in the bottom of the eighth ended the rain-shortened weekend for Iowa State.

Reliever Macy Jones (3-1) earned the win for Penn State, throwing six and two-thirds innings and giving up five runs on five hits and three walks. Jones struck out five Cyclone batters.

It was all Iowa State in the first game of the day. The Cyclones posted three runs through two innings, including a first inning RBI, marking the ninth time this season Iowa State has scored in the opening frame.

Sophomore transfer Maddie Reese drove in a game-high four RBI on two two-out doubles, one in the third and one in the fourth inning. For the year, Reese has collected five two-out RBI, one of four Cyclones with at least four such RBI.

Freshman Aly Cappaert had two RBI in the win for her first multi-RBI game and Torrescano and Jorden Spendlove drove in a run apiece.

Smith tallied her first complete game of the season, allowing a lone run on two hits and a walk while striking out two.

Jordan Courage (2-2) suffered the loss for Iona as the Cyclones reached her for four hits and four runs, two earned, in two innings. Courage walked none and struck out none.

The Cyclones will play a Friday-Saturday tournament next weekend at Alabama, facing both the defending Women's College World Series champs and St. John's twice. Friday's first game, against St. John's, is set for a 1 p.m. CST first pitch.

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Players Mentioned

Aly Cappaert

Sara Davison

Sara Davison

Maddie Reese

Taylor Smith

Taylor Smith

Jorden Spendlove

Jorden Spendlove

Tori Torrescano

Tori Torrescano

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