ISU Splits Opening Day of UCSB Tournament

Friday, February 27

Santa Barbara, Calif.

11 a.m.

Iowa State

11-4

LIU

0-18

Long Island

Iowa State

Photo by: Jeff Liang / UCSB Athletics

ISU Splits Opening Day of UCSB Tournament

02.27.2026 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 G1 Box Score (.pdf)G2 Box Score (.pdf)

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Iowa State (11-5) ran its win streak to six, winning Friday's first game before seeing it snapped in game two. The Cyclones defeated LIU (0-18) by a score of 4-1 before falling to UCSB (8-13) by a score of 4-3.

The Iowa State pitching staff dominated game one, allowing just one run on two hits in seven innings of work with only one walk. Liv Palumbo earned her first career save while Jaiden Ralston picked up her first win of the season. Tatum Johnson had a team-high three RBI and two hits.

The Cyclones jumped out to a 3-0 lead over UCSB, doing all their scoring in the first two frames. But four unearned runs by the Gauchos would help UCSB earn the win. Tiana Poole was the only Cyclone with multiple hits.

Iowa State 4, LIU 1
Iowa State used four unearned runs and a pair of solid pitching performances to earn a tournament-opening win over LIU on Friday. Jaiden Ralston and Liv Palumbo combined to allow just one run on two hits as ISU moved to 11-4.

Tatum Johnson accounted for three of the team's four RBI, driving in a pair on a double to pair with a solo shot, as she was tied for the team lead with two hits. Kasey Kane was the other Cyclone with multiple hits and accounted for the fourth RBI.

Nyae' Villalta had Long Island's only RBI and run, as she belted a solo shot. Hannah Burnett was the only other Shark to log a hit. Gigi Clavel went the distance for LIU, striking out four in six innings of work.

How it Happened
ISU got a leadoff double from Jessie Clemons and a walk from Johnson to open the game, but would leave two stranded as the game turned to the second.

With two outs, Villalta belted a solo shot over the left-center fence to put the Sharks on top, 1-0.

The Cyclones answered in the bottom of the frame, thanks to some two-out hitting. Back-to-back one-out singles from Kane and Tiana Poole were followed by a McKenna Andrews walk, and Iowa State had the bases loaded. Following a fielder's choice groundout, Johnson singled into center to plate a pair and put ISU on top, 2-1.

In the third, a one-out double from Reagan Bartholomew would eventually come home thanks to a Kane single down the left line. Kane's RBI made it 3-1 in favor of the Cyclones.

Iowa State scored the game's final run in the fifth, again courtesy of Johnson. With a full count, Tatum tanked her fourth home run of the season, a solo shot, into right field to make it 4-1. Two straight hitless relief innings from Palumbo closed out ISU's 11th win of the season.

Friday G1 Notes
Home Runs
Iowa State: Tatum Johnson (4)
LIU: Nyae' Villalta (2)

WP – Jaiden Ralston (1-0): 5.0 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts
SV – Liv Palumbo (1): 2.0 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts
LP – Gigi Clavel (0-4): 6.0 IP, 7 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts

UC Santa Barbara 4, Iowa State 3
Iowa State saw its 3-0 lead disappear on Friday afternoon, as UCSB used four unearned runs to top the Cyclones and snap ISU's six-game winning streak.

ISU started hot, scoring three on three hits in the first two frames, but would only collect three more knocks the rest of the way. Tiana Poole was the only Cyclone with more than one hit, and Karlee Ford collected two RBI.

UCSB freshman pitcher Ella Myers went the distance for her first career win, striking out four Cyclones. UCSB overcame 13 stranded runners to win , coming from behind in the victory.

How it Happened
The Cyclones jumped out to an early lead Friday afternoon, plating a pair in the first frame. A leadoff walk drawn by Clemons was driven in by Karlee Ford, who tanked a two-out home run into left field to put ISU up, 2-0.

ISU added one more in the second, as it was Kadence Shepherd's turn to go yard. The sophomore sent a solo blast over the right-center wall for her fourth dinger of the season to put the Cyclones up, 3-0.

Neither team would score in the third or fourth, but UCSB tied things up in the fifth. After stranding eight runners in the first four frames, the Gauchos took advantage of their runners on the paths. A single and a pair of walks loaded the bases for UCSB before a single drove in a pair. Another single resulted in a third run scoring, tying things up at three-all.

The Gauchos would hold the Cyclone bats in check in the top of the sixth before doing more damage in the bottom of the frame. UCSB would again load the bases, this time with one out, and use a sac fly to score a fourth run and take its first lead of the game.

ISU had one more chance to even things or take the lead in the seventh but went down in order, falling to the Gauchos, 4-3.

Friday G2 Notes
Home Runs
Iowa State: Karlee Ford (2), Kadence Shepherd (4)
UC Santa Barbara: N/A

WP – Ella Myers (1-2): 7.0 IP, 6 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts
SV – N/A
LP – Jaiden Ralston (1-1): 1.2 IP, 4 hits, 1 run, 0 walks, 1 strikeout

On Deck
Iowa State will be back in action tomorrow, Feb. 27, when it takes on both LIU and UCSB again in a doubleheader. Tomorrow's first game will be against LIU and is set to begin at 12 pm CT, and game two will start after.