Upcoming Event: Softball versus DMACC on September 17, 2025 at 4 p.m.
4 p.m.
Softball
DMACC
Iowa State University Athletics
Sunday, February 18
Las Vegas, Nev.
11:30 a.m.
Iowa State University
6-3
7
vs
6
Bradley
1-4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
R
H
E
BRADLEY
0
0
1
2
1
2
0
0
6
7
1
Iowa State
0
0
0
1
1
1
3
1
7
11
2
Seventh-Inning Rally Leads ISU Over Bradley
02.18.2024 | Softball
LAS VEGAS – Powered by an Alesia Ranches game-tying, three-run home run, Iowa State (6-3) came from behind to defeat Bradley (1-4) in extra innings, 7-6, concluding the UNLV Desert Classic.
The Cyclones leave Vegas with the best record of any team in the field, going 4-1 in tournament play. Iowa State used late-inning rallies (fifth inning or later) to win all four of their outings this weekend and Sunday marked the first time this season ISU went to extra innings.
Alesia Ranches had a monster afternoon, going 2-2 at the plate with a pair of home runs and four RBI. She also drew a walk. Milaysia Ochoa was also clutch, recording two hits and two RBI, including the walk off hit in the bottom of the eighth. Angelina Allen continued her scorching weekend, notching another three hits.
In her first appearance of the weekend, Jaiden Ralston went five innings, allowing three earned runs and striking out six. Saya Swain picked up her fourth win of the early season, closing the game out and pitching the final two and a third innings where she allowed just one hit.
With Ranches' two homers, Iowa State has now gone long in eight of the nine games this season.
How it Happened
Sunday's game started slow, as each team was scoreless through two innings. ISU starting pitcher Jaiden Ralston got through a pair of jams in the first two innings to help keep the Braves off the board.
Bradley struck first in the top of the third, using a Cyclone error to get a runner on. A bloop single from the Braves that landed just perfectly between three Cyclone fielders would score the run to put BU on top.
After holding ISU in check in the third, Bradley tacked on another pair of runs in the top of the fourth. The Braves used three hits to score a pair and go up 3-0.
Iowa State got on the board in the bottom of the fourth, as Alesia Ranches belted her first home run of the season, a line drive over the left field wall, to trim the lead to 3-1.
The Braves recorded a fourth run in the top of the fifth, getting a runner on via walk and then doubling down the left field line to bring her in.
Wardlow led the bottom of the fifth off with a single into left. A Cyclone groundout would advance Wardlow and bring the red-hot Allen back to the plate. Allen promptly sent a double into center field to score a run and make it 4-2.
Bradley made it four straight innings with at least a run scored in the sixth, brining another two across the plate and extending its lead to 6-2.
With runners on first and second with two outs, Ochoa blasted a double into the left-center gap. The runner from second would score, but a great relay from the Braves would cut down the second, ending the inning with the Braves in front, 6-3.
Swain got the Braves to foul out, fly out and strikeout in the seventh, giving way to the bottom of the frame where the Cyclones would need at least three to extend the game.
The bottom of the seventh didn't start too promising for the Cyclones. Back-to-back flyouts on just three pitches put Bradley in primer position for a win. But Minor was hit by a pitch and Poole singled through the left side to put two on. Ranches – who homered in a previous at-bat – worked the count full. Down to their final out and strike, Ranches uncorked a big fly over the right field fence to tie the game up at six apiece. ISU got another runner on in the seventh but a strikeout would end the threat and send the game to extras.
The game abided by international rules in extras, as the Braves started with a runner on second. BU's first batter sent a deep fly to right field which Poole would secure. Bradley tried to advance a runner after the catch but Poole hosed her down, rocketing the ball straight to third from right to turn a double play at the start of extras. A foul out followed the double play and the game moved to the bottom of the eighth.
Tatum Johnson started the eighth on second and was able to advance to third on a Bradley error. With runners on the corners, Ochoa struck a ball right back at the pitcher singling off her glove and scoring the game-winning run.
Sunday Notes
Home Runs
Iowa State: Alesia Ranches 2(2)
Bradley: N/A
WP – Saya Swain (4-1): 2.1 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 1 walk, 1 strikeout
SV – N/A
LP – Abbott Badley (0-4): 0.1 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 0 walks, 1 strikeout
On Deck
After wrapping up the UNLV Desert Classic, Iowa State will be back in action next weekend, Feb. 23-25, in Charlottesville, Va., as it is set to take part in the Rawlings Classic. The tournament features host-team Virginia, Lehigh and Delaware.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Swain, Saya (4-1)
L: Abbott Badle (0-4)
Batting:
2B: Tori Meyer 1 ; Kierston McC 1 ; Sydney Kenne 1
RBI: Tori Meyer 1 ; Bailey Sampl 2 ; Austin Comst 1 ; Kierston McC 1 ; Addison Pett 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lauren DeRol 1 ; Bailey Sampl 1 ; Angela Ciron 1 ; Ella Shafer 2 ; Addie Welsh 1
SB: Lauren DeRol 1 ; Ella Shafer 1 ; Addie Welsh 1
Batting:
2B: Ochoa, Milaysia 1 ; Allen, Angelina 2
HR: Ranches, Alesia 2
RBI: Ochoa, Milaysia 2 ; Allen, Angelina 1 ; Ranches, Alesia 4
Base Running:
RUNS: Andrews, McKenna 1 ; Poole, Tiana 1 ; Ranches, Alesia 2 ; Wardlow, Olivia 1 ; Johnson, Tatum 2
SB: Wardlow, Olivia 1
HBP: Minor, Ashley 1 ; Ranches, Alesia 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
0
H
3
RBI
1
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
2
AB
2
R
2
H
2
RBI
4
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
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