Bartholomew's Seventh-Inning Heroics Lift Cyclones Over Hawkeyes 9-7

Rain clouds gathered over Iowa City as two in-state rivals prepared for battle, but nothing could dampen the offensive fireworks that followed. Iowa State captured a thrilling 9-7 victory over Iowa at Pearl Field on Wednesday, with Reagan Bartholomew playing the role of hero in a game that featured five home runs and multiple lead changes.

The decisive moment came in the top of the seventh inning when Bartholomew stepped to the plate with the game tied 7-7 and teammate Tatum Johnson on base. Facing Iowa relief pitcher Serayah Neiss, Bartholomew launched a two-run homer to deep center field that proved to be the game-winner. The blast capped off an outstanding performance for the Cyclones star, who also doubled earlier in the contest.

What began as a defensive struggle through the first two innings quickly transformed into an offensive showcase once the bats warmed up. Iowa State struck first in the third inning with a four-run explosion that seemed to set the tone for the remainder of the contest.

Tatum Johnson ignited the rally with a two-run homer to deep right field after McKenna Andrews drew a walk. Bartholomew followed with a double that set the stage for Kadence Shepherd to launch another two-run blast, giving the Cyclones a commanding 4-0 advantage and forcing Iowa to make an early pitching change.

The Hawkeyes responded immediately in the bottom half of the third inning, showing the resilience that has defined this rivalry over the years. After working a walk and single to put runners in scoring position, Tory Bennett delivered a clutch three-run homer to deep left field, suddenly cutting the deficit to just one run at 4-3.

The back-and-forth nature of the contest continued through the middle innings as both teams refused to back down. Iowa State extended their lead to 5-3 in the fourth on an unearned run when Ireland Buss crossed home plate during a caught-stealing sequence.

However, Iowa answered right back in their half of the fourth when Mariah Myers, the 2024-25 Iowa Gatorade Softball Player of the Year, launched a two-run homer that scored Nailyn Marshall and knotted the game at 5-5. The momentum swings were coming fast and furious as neither pitcher could establish sustained control.

The Cyclones regained the lead in the fifth inning through small-ball tactics that contrasted sharply with the home run barrage. Johnson and Bartholomew both singled to start the frame, eventually leading to a sacrifice fly by Sydney Malott and an RBI double by Karlee Ford that pushed the score to 7-5.

But Iowa State couldn't put the game away, as Iowa continued to battle back with timely hitting. The Hawkeyes used an RBI single by Kiara Sipe in the fifth and another RBI single by Brianna Johnson in the sixth to deadlock the contest once again at 7-7.

With the game hanging in the balance, Bartholomew rose to the occasion in the seventh inning, delivering the clutch blow that would decide the outcome. Lauren Schurman, who earned her 13th victory of the season, retired the Hawkeyes in order in the bottom of the seventh to seal the victory for Iowa State.

The win improved the Cyclones to 23-15 overall and 4-8 in Big 12 play, while Iowa fell to 21-17 and 5-10 in Big Ten action. For both teams, the result will be remembered as another chapter in their heated in-state rivalry.