The ISU softball team is hoping to bounce back after what proved to be a peculiar situation last weekend. The Cyclones split the weekend at the Purple & Gold Challenge 2-2 after their fifth and final game against Lamar was determined a “no game” by the NCAA.

Due to Iowa State’s travel plans and the prior game of Harvard vs. Jackson State going into extra innings, Iowa State and Lamar were unable to complete at least five innings to make it an official contest.

After losing two games in a weekend for the first time on the season, Iowa State is hoping to approach each game individually. ISU coach Stacy Geimenhardt-Cesler worried her team’s mindset heading into last weekend was too centered on their first ranked opponent, No. 21 LSU.

“Going into last weekend we had too narrow of a focus on LSU, and it bit us against Lamar,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. “Approaching every single game and every single team the same way is what we need to do.”

The Cyclones have been able to bounce back from tough losses thus far this season. Three of the four losses for Iowa State have come in one-run affairs.

In contests following a loss this season, the Cyclones are 3-0 without including the “no game” against Lamar. In those games, the team has outscored its opponents by a 28-1 margin.

“We lost few enough times to where they’ve been impacted by them,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. “I think it really gets their attention. They have done a great job of responding, coming right back and playing well.”

The approach Iowa State has taken at the plate is a huge attribute to its success. The Cyclones, as a team, are second in the Big 12 in overall team batting.

“I think a big factor is the fact that it’s not just one person, but everyone is hitting,” said ISU centerfielder Brittany Gomez. “It’s really been a whole team effort so far.”

Iowa State has eight every-day players who are hitting above .300 leading to the team’s overall batting average of .339. Gomez is among the ISU leaders.

Sophomore Aly Cappaert leads Iowa State with a .434 batting average, which is good for fifth in the Big 12. Gomez at .406 and junior shortstop Lexi Slater at .400, also rank in the top-10 within the conference.

“This year we’ve really been working on the little things hitting-wise,” Cappaert said. “All of the technique work we’ve done has really helped everyone out.”

Iowa State will be going into the weekend with a goal of continuing its torrid start at the plate this weekend, as the Cyclones will bring their hot bats to Wichita, Kan. for the Shocker Softball Classic.

Iowa State is set to take on San Diego State in the opener at 3:30 p.m. March 7.