Cyclones Blank Coyotes, 8-0, in Five

Tuesday, April 14

Ames, Iowa

4 p.m.

Iowa State

25-17

South Dakota

10-29-1

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
South Dakota	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	1
Iowa State	4	0	0	0	4	8	5	0

Photo by: LUKE LU @KL6PHOTO

Cyclones Blank Coyotes, 8-0, in Five

04.14.2026 | Softball

Box Score Box Score (.pdf)

AMES, Iowa – Meeting for the second time this season, Iowa State (25-17, 5-10 Big 12) dominated South Dakota (10-29-1, 2-7 Summit) at home, besting the Coyotes 8-0 in five innings.

The Cyclones jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first, thanks in large part to a Karlee Ford three-run blast. Minutes after she made it 4-0, the game entered a 53-minute weather delay, which saw ISU's offense cool. After the break, the Cyclones went three-consecutive innings without a run before Isabelle Nosan cranked a run-rule, walk-off grand slam in the fifth.

Iowa State recorded just five hits on the day, scattering them across five athletes. Both Ford and Nosan had homers, accounting for seven of the team's eight RBI. Ford also had a game-high two walks. Kadence Shepherd recorded the team's eighth RBI, driving in a run on a single.

Jaiden Ralston (2-5) went the distance for the Cyclones, dealing five shutout innings and allowing just two hits. The senior struck out four as she notched her first complete game of the season.

Kiya Johnson was the only Yote to record a hit on the day, as she notched the team's only two knocks of the afternoon. Peyton Paulsen (3-8) pitched the whole game for USD, allowing four earned runs on five hits.

How it Happened
After a three-up, three-down top of the first, Iowa State struck first in the bottom of the frame. A one-out walk drawn by Tatum Johnson was eventually moved to third before being driven in by Shepherd to make it 1-0. With Shepherd on, Sydney Malott drew a walk, setting up Ford, who tanked her sixth homer of the season to drive the Cyclones lead to 4-0.

Shortly following Ford's blast, the game went into a weather delay, which would last 53 minutes.

After picking action back up, neither team would score for the next three innings.

USD stranded one in the top of the fifth before ISU came back to the plate. With Johnson, Reagan Bartholomew and Ford on, Isabelle Nosan launched a two-out, pinch-hit grand slam to force a run-rule victory for the Cyclones, 8-0.

Tuesday Notes
Home Runs
Iowa State: Karlee Ford (6), Isabelle Nosan (1)
South Dakota: N/A

WP – Jaiden Ralston (2-5): 5.0 IP, 2 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 4 strikeouts
SV – N/A
LP – Peyton Paulsen (3-8): 4.2 IP, 5 hits, 8 runs (4 earned), 5 walks, 1 strikeout

On Deck
The Cyclones will return to action this weekend, when they head to Provo for a three-game Big 12 series against BYU. ISU will meet the Cougars in game one on Thursday, April 16, at 7 pm. All three games will be streamed live on ESPN+.