Completed Event: Softball at UNI on February 8, 2026 , Win , 5, to, 3
Final
Softball
5
UNI
3
Iowa State University Athletics
Saturday, February 14
Arlington, Texas
7 p.m.
Iowa State
5-3
15
at
11
UT Arlington
3-5
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Iowa State
4
3
0
6
0
2
0
15
15
0
UT Arlington
0
2
5
2
0
2
0
11
11
2
Ford and Oliver Lead Cyclones Past UT Arlington
02.14.2026 | Softball
ARLINGTON, Texas – After weather reshaped the Saturday slate, Iowa State (5-3) eventually got to take the field, as it overcame host-school UT Arlington (3-5) in an offensive affair, 15-11.
ISU opened the contest with seven runs in the first two frames before UTA rattled off seven unanswered to knot things up at seven apiece. A sixth run fourth put ISU back in control before adding two more insurance runs to secure the victory. The contest lasted three hours and six minutes, the longest ISU game since 2024, and was the highest-scoring game of the season.
Karlee Ford and Hayleigh Oliver had career nights for ISU, leading the offensive charge for the team. Ford went a perfect four-for-four at the plate and drew one walk as she drove in five runs, one off a personal best. Her four hits were the most of her career. Oliver notched three hits and drove in a pair, marking her most career hits in a single game. Tatum Johnson, Reagan Bartholomew and Kadence Shepherd rounded out the Cyclones with multiple hits.
Ava Mullen got the start for the Cyclones, pitching the first two frames before being replaced by Liv Palumbo. Lauren Schurman (3-2) would hurl the final 4.1 frames, striking out four, to pick up her third win of the season.
While ISU totaled 15 hits, UTA's bats weren't far behind as the Mavericks finished with 11 hits on the day. Two Mavs had multi-hit games, while all nine starters recorded a hit. Madi McDonnell (2-1) picked up the loss as she walked a pair and allowed six runs on seven hits.
How it Happened
Three of the first four batters for ISU drew walks, loading the bases for Ford, who would single into left and score two to put the Cyclones up early, 2-0. Ashley Minor then got hit by a pitch to reload the bases for Oliver, who singled through the left side to score another and make it 3-0 in favor of ISU. A bases-loaded walk from McKenna Andrews brought in the fourth run as ISU was rolling early.
ISU added two more in the second, as Johnson opened the frame with a walk and Bartholomew followed with a single to put a pair on the paths. A Maverick error allowed Johnson to score before Ford knocked her second single of the game into left center to score her third and fourth runners of the contest and make it 7-0, ISU.
A UTA triple helped fuel a two-run bottom of the second as the Mavericks got on the board.
UT Arlington then took advantage of a shaky frame in the circle in the third, plating five and knotting things up. UTA opened up with three straight singles and would score its five runs on five hits.
The Cyclones responded emphatically in the sixth, as Ford opened things up with a single. Pinch-hitting, Kasey Kane smacked a ball over the right-centerfield fence to secure her first career homer and put ISU back on top, 9-7. Oliver followed suit with a homer of her own as ISU went back-to-back and opened a three-run lead. With runners on first and second, Shepherd doubled into right center to score both and push the lead to five. Sydney Malott then ripped a second-straight double into the same spot to score Shepherd and make it a 13-7 contest.
A two-run blast from the Mavs in the bottom of the frame would draw them closer, as the score sat at 13-9 through four.
Neither team scored in the fifth, but ISU added two more in the sixth. Johnson and Bartholomew opened the inning with back-to-back singles to start things off. Johnson would eventually score on a Malott groundout, and Bartholomew would score on another Ford single – her fourth of the day.
UTA again had a two-run homer in the bottom of the frame, but that was it for the Maverick offense as it fell 15-11.
Saturday Notes
Home Runs
Iowa State: Kasey Kane (1), Hayleigh Oliver (1)
UT Arlington: Peyton Holland (1), Marley Neises (3)
WP – Lauren Schurman (3-2): 4.1 IP, 5 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts
SV – N/A
LP – Madi McDonnell (2-1): 2.1 IP, 7 hits, 6 runs (5 earned), 2 walks, 0 strikeouts
On Deck
Iowa State will close out the Drea City Invitational tomorrow, Feb. 15, when it faces Wisconsin for the second time this weekend. Tomorrow's game is slated to begin at 9 am.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Schurman, Lauren (3-2)
L: McDonell, Madi (2-1)
Batting:
2B: Shepherd, Kadence 1 ; Malott, Sydney 1
HR: Kane, Kasey 1 ; Oliver, Hayleigh 1
RBI: Shepherd, Kadence 2 ; Malott, Sydney 2 ; Ford, Karlee 5 ; Kane, Kasey 2 ; Oliver, Hayleigh 2 ; Andrews, McKenna 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Clemons, Jessie 1 ; Johnson, Tatum 3 ; Bartholomew, Reagan 4 ; Shepherd, Kadence 2 ; Malott, Sydney 1 ; Ford, Karlee 2 ; Kane, Kasey 1 ; Oliver, Hayleigh 1
HBP: Minor, Ashley 2
Batting:
3B: Creech, Kelsey 1
HR: Holland, Peyton 1 ; Neises, Marley 1
RBI: Holland, Peyton 3 ; Neises, Marley 3 ; Creech, Kelsey 1 ; Cooper, Cameron 1 ; McDonell, Madi 1
SF: Neises, Marley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Feeney, Valeria 1 ; McNulty, Mia 1 ; McClarity, Dee 2 ; Holland, Peyton 2 ; Sailor, Kaitlyn 1 ; Neises, Marley 2 ; Creech, Kelsey 2
SB: Creech, Kelsey 1
HBP: Holland, Peyton 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
2
H
4
RBI
5
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
2
AB
5
R
3
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
4
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballC/OF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
RHP
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
INF
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