Last weekend Iowa State had a devastating conference loss against No. 16 Oklahoma at home. The Cyclones lost all three games against the Sooners to start a loosing streak.

The ISU softball team has been optimistic about each game and opponent they have faced this season so far. After three losses against the Sooners, the Cyclones want to reverse their luck against in-state rival Northern Iowa on April 2.

“I expect us to look a lot different than we did this weekend. Our offense has been struggling this weekend,” said senior second-baseman Sara Davison. “That will go up and down and I think we’re on our way back up. We want to hit the ball well and we want to take care of them early. Expect it to look a lot different than Oklahoma.”

The Cyclones are unanimous in thinking they need to improve if they want to win more games. Iowa State head coach Stacy Gemeinhardt-Cesler has a plan to break the Cyclones losing streak.

“The big thing is having good at bats. I don’t think we’ve had as good at bats as what we should of the past weekend. Also we have just given up a ton of runs and we need to keep that down,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said.

She expects her team to perform to its best abilities. Some of the teammates agree. Freshman catcher Rachel Hartman does not believe that this weekend reflected on how her team should have performed. Hartman takes last weekend as a learning experience to better herself and her team for the game against UNI.

Northern Iowa’s record is 17-9 this season close to Iowa State’s 17-14. This does not worry the Cyclones though. Davison believes if Iowa State does their part then there is nothing to worry about.

“We’re pretty familiar with them and their style of play. I think if our hitters do what they need to do and our pitchers do what they’re capable of then we’re fine,” Davison said.

Coach Gemeinhardt-Cesler agrees with her player. She said the Cyclones have given up more runs then needed to happen between the last couple games as well as less than expected at bats the past few weekends. If Iowa State can stop these errors she believes it can beat UNI.

Wednesday’s game against the Panthers is only a single game rather than what the Cyclones have been facing the past couple weeks which are series games. Gemeinhardt-Cesler does not mind only seeing the opponent once. She wants her team to let it all hangout and attack them throughout the entire game.

Iowa State takes on Northern Iowa at 4 p.m. in Cedar Falls. Davison said she believes with everything that the Cyclones have been working on to get of the slump they are in, the game should go in favor of Iowa State.

“Coming out of this little slump that we’re in. Trying to get all three things together, defense, offense and pitching together at the same time is what we’re struggling to do right now but we’re looking to do,” Davison said.