ISU Splits Opening Day of Rebel Invitational

OXFORD, Miss. – Iowa State kicked off its final non-conference tournament of the weekend Friday afternoon in its first two games of the Rebel Invitational. The Cyclones (11-12, 1-2 Big 12) started the day with a one-run win over Samford (18-11, 0-0 SoCon), defeating the Bulldogs 5-4. ISU then fell to North Dakota State (13-15, 0-0 Summit) in the second contest, 8-6, in nine innings.

In game one, McKenna Andrews recorded a career-best four RBI as she helped the Cyclones down the Bulldogs. Game two featured the longest game of the season (innings-wise) for the Cyclones, as they fell to the Bison after committing four errors and leaving 12 on base.

Iowa State 5, Samford 4
Iowa State opened up the 2025 Rebel Invitational with a win, downing the Samford Bulldogs by a score of 5-4. After falling into an early one-run hole, Iowa State used a four-run fourth and a career day at the plate from McKenna Andrews to earn its eleventh win of the season.

As mentioned, Andrews had an outstanding day for the Cyclones. She recorded a career-high four RBI on two hits – one of which was her first career homer. Tatum Johnson had the team's remaining RBI, as she had a home run of her own. Sereniti Trice, Sydney Malott, Johnson and Andrews all finished with two hits.

Abby Huhn made her fourth start of the season for the Cyclones, pitching three innings of action where she allowed two runs on two hits. Jaiden Ralston (3-4) relieved Huhn, giving up two runs in 1.1 innings of work. Lauren Schurman (1) closed things out for ISU, allowing just one hit in the final 2.2 innings.

How it Happened
ISU stranded a pair in each of the first two frames, as the game sat scoreless until the third. The Bulldogs would break the stalemate, placing one on the board as they used three singles to score the first run.

Down 1-0, ISU took off in the fourth, plating four runs. Tatum Johnson led off the frame with an eight-pitch at-bat that ended in her third homer of the season – a towering shot to right center field. An Ashley Minor single and Maddie Knowles walk later, and the Cyclones had two on with no outs. Andrews would step into the box and launch her first career home run over the left field fence to plate both and give ISU a 4-1 lead.

Samford got back within one in the bottom of the inning. A leadoff double was followed by a single to put runners on the corners. With two outs, Joi Hubbard doubled into left center to plate both and make it 4-3.

The Cyclones extended their lead to two in the top of the fifth, again thanks to the bat of McKenna Andrews. With runners on second and third with two outs, the junior singled to third base, scoring one to make it 5-3.

Samford led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo blast to make it 5-4, but that was as close as the Bulldogs got, as Lauren Schurman would enter and close things out for the Cyclones, earning her first career save.

Friday G1 Notes
Home Runs
Iowa State: Tatum Johnson (3), McKenna Andrews (1)
Samford: Olivia Shaw (4)

WP – Jaiden Ralston (3-4): 1.1 IP, 3 hits, 2 runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts
SV – Lauren Schurman (1): 2.2 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts
LP – Jordyn Partain (7-7): 3.0 IP, 7 hits, 4 runs, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

North Dakota State 8, Iowa State 6 (9 Inn.)
For the fourth time in the last five games, ISU left double digit runners on base, as it fell to NDSU by two runs in extra innings. The Cyclones also committed four errors in the game, tied for a season-high.

The first four batters for the Cyclones accounted for 10 of the team's 11 hits, with both Clemons and Trice notching a game-high three. Sydney Malott led the squad with two RBI, while Isabelle Nosan drew a game-high two walks.

Sami Potvin got the start, hurling two innings of action and giving up three runs (one earned). She was relieved by Lauren Schurman (4-7) who pitched a season-high 6.1 innings and gave up five runs (one earned) on seven hits.

How it Happened
After the Bison stranded one in the top of the first, Jessie Clemons led off the bottom of the frame with a solo shot, her fourth of the year, to give ISU a quick 1-0 lead. It was ISU's first leadoff homer since Milaysia Ochoa's at BYU last season on 4/19. Following Clemons' homer, Sereniti Trice laid down a bunt single to five the Cyclones a base runner. A Sydney Malott double to left center was all Trice needed, as she raced around the bases and scored to make it 2-0 for ISU.

North Dakota State would tie things up in the second, loading the bases with two outs. An ISU fielding error would allow the runners from second and third to score and tie things up at two-all.

After forcing ISU to strand one in the bottom of the second, NDSU would take the lead in the third. A pair of singles to lead off the inning would put runners on the corners and force a pitching change for the Cyclones. A sac fly to deep center field would score the runner from third and make it 3-2 in favor of the Bison.

Iowa State would tie things up in the bottom of the inning, using a sac fly of its own. A leadoff walk and pair of singles would load the bases with no outs for ISU. With one out, Reagan Bartholomew flew out to center, scoring Clemons from third and knotting things up at three.

Neither team was able to get much going in the fourth or fifth inning, as the game remained tied at three heading into the sixth. In the top of the frame, NDSU would load the bases with one out before a Jasmyn Yessian double down the left line plated a pair to make it 5-3 in favor of the Bison.

The Bison would shut ISU down in the bottom of the sixth and take a two-run lead into the bottom of the seventh as they tried to put ISU away.

The Cyclones dug deep in the seventh and, down to their final out, rallied to tie things up. A leadoff groundout was followed by back-to-back singles to put runners on first and third. Angelina Allen would ground out to the first baseman, but it allowed the runner from third to score and made it 5-4. With a 1-1 count, Sydney Malott singles into left to plate the tying run. ISU would then be hit by a pitch and draw a walk to load the bases, but a groundout put an end to the threat.

The tournament followed the international tiebreaker rule, meaning a runner was placed on second at the start of each frame. With two outs and a runner on third, Yessian again came through for NDSU singling and scoring a go-ahead run to make it 6-5.

In the bottom of the eighth, an Andrews single would score a game-tying run to make it all square at six. ISU again loaded the bases, but a groundout again ended the threat as NDSU escaped another jam.

The Bison took advantage of two ISU errors in the top of the ninth to go ahead and would hold on for the two-run win, going three up, three down in the final frame.

Friday G2 Notes
Home Runs
Iowa State: Jessie Clemons (4)
North Dakota State: N/A

WP – Savy Williams (4-5): 1.2 IP, 2 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts
SV – N/A
LP – Lauren Schurman (4-7): 6.1 IP, 7 hits, 5 runs (1 earned), 0 walks, 4 strikeouts

On Deck
The Cyclones await further clarity on weekend weather, as its final three games of the weekend remain up in the air. The team tentatively has one game scheduled for Saturday vs. Samford and two on Sunday against No. 22 Ole Miss. No game times have been determined.

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Team Stats

Sereniti Trice

Sydney Malott

Tatum Johnson

McKenna Andrews

Players Mentioned

Angelina Allen

McKenna Andrews

Reagan Bartholomew

Jessie Clemons

Abby Huhn

Tatum Johnson

Maddie Knowles

Sydney Malott

Ashley Minor

Isabelle Nosan

Milaysia Ochoa

Sami Potvin

Jaiden Ralston

Lauren Schurman

Sereniti Trice

Players Mentioned

Angelina Allen

McKenna Andrews

Reagan Bartholomew

Jessie Clemons

Abby Huhn

Tatum Johnson

Maddie Knowles

Sydney Malott

Ashley Minor

Isabelle Nosan

Milaysia Ochoa

Sami Potvin

Jaiden Ralston

Lauren Schurman

Sereniti Trice

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