The Hawkeyes rallied from a 4-0 hole, but allowed a game-winning two-run shot in the seventh to drop another game to their archrivals.
For the sixth time in the last seven games, Iowa softball has dropped a game to its archrival.
It was a back-and-forth affair at Pearl Field on Wednesday, but Reagan Bartholomew's two-run blast in the seventh carried Iowa State to another victory over the Hawkeyes.
Serayah Neiss was charged with the loss on the hill for Iowa, while Lauren Schurman earned her 13th victory of the season after throwing 4.1 innings in relief.
The Hawkeyes fall to 21-17 with the loss.
What Happened?
The preceding days in Iowa City were filled with chilly, windy weather, but the conditions outside were perfect for April softball. Avery Sapp earned the start for the Hawkeyes, and though she surrendered a leadoff walk, Jessie Clemsons returned the favor by running into a tag at second base to end the inning.
Just when it seemed like the weather would be crystal-clear, a rainstorm came through in the second inning. Iowa State's hitters had to battle through it, but managed to place two runners on with just one out. The Cyclones' efforts were all for naught, however, as Sapp recovered to retire the next two batters to end the inning.
Iowa State drew first blood on a Tatum Johnson's two-run home run in the top of the third, and that's when the floodgates opened. Two batters later, Kadence Shepherd tattooed another two-run shot to deep center field to extend the Clones' lead to 4-0.
Iowa attempted to re-energized the home crowd in the bottom half of the inning. The attempt looked dire after an Avery Jackson strikeout, but Tory Bennett saved the day with a three-run jack to left to slice the deficit down to 4-3.
Iowa State tacked on an insurance run in the fourth on a bizarre play. The Cyclones essentially intentionally sacrificed an out to bring home a run, as McKenna Andrews ran herself into a pickle between first and second. The delay brought in Ireland Buss from third - giving the Cyclones a 5-3 edge.
The back-and-forth affair continued in the home half of the frame, as Mariah Myers crushed a two-run shot to left to tie the game. The homer was a good omen for the Hawkeyes, as they came into the game with an `11-1 mark when hitting two or more long balls in a contest.
Iowa State did its best to dampen that record, scoring two runs off of Iowa reliever Carly Brewer - who relieved Sapp in the third - in the fifth to regain a two-run lead, 7-5. The resurgent Hawkeyes would't go away, cutting the deficit in half on a Kiara Sipe RBI single in the bottom of the fifth.
Brewer recovered to retire the Cyclones in order in the sixth, setting the stage for Iowa to tie or take the lead.
It didn't take long for that to happen. Myers got things going with a leadoff double, and Brianna Johnson tied the contest with an RBI single that deflected off the glove of the third baseman.
With the game tied at seven in the seventh, Iowa State decided it was tired of playing this see-saw battle. A leadoff single spelled disaster for the Hawkeyes, and a pitching change to Serayah Neiss yielded few answers. Reagan Bartholomew smacked a two-run shot to dead center to give the Cyclones a 9-7 lead.
Iowa tried to answer back, but that was that.
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