HONOLULU, O’AHU – The Iowa State Cyclones defeated Niagara 9-1 in five innings Friday afternoon in the Rainbow Wahine Classic. Freshman Sophia Marrero highlighted the contest for Niagara with her first career home run.
Game Recap:
• Iowa State struck for four in the opening frame, hitting a solo home run and a 3-run shot off of Niagara starter Riley Crum.
• Cara Leone would come in to pitch in the second inning, allowing one more Cyclone runners to cross the plate, giving Iowa State a 5-0 lead over the Purple Eagles.
• After Iowa State took a 7-0 lead in the bottom of the third, Niagara would shut down the Cyclone lineup in the fourth, as Maddie Hickingbottom struck out two of the three batters in the frame.
• Marrero would get Niagara on the board as she led off the fifth with a solo shot.
• With two away in the bottom of the fifth, Iowa State would push across the final two runs of the contest to earn a 9-1 win over NU.
Niagara Notes
• Marrero became the first Purple Eagle to hit a home run since Riley Crum hit a solo shot against Manhattan on May 1, 2022.
• Lindsay Mayo went 1-for-1 at the plate and has reached base safely in 12 of her 13 games played.
• Hickingbottom finished with 2.0 innings pitched, striking out four batters. She currently leads NU with 42 strikeouts this season.
Up Next
• Niagara and Iowa State meet again tomorrow afternoon, before the Purple Eagles take on Fordham to close out the Rainbow Wahine Classic. First pitch on Saturday is set for 3 p.m. ET, followed by a 5:30 p.m. ET start vs. Fordham.
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