The Cyclone softball team (21-22, 3-9 Big 12) split a pair of games this weekend with the No. 17 Baylor Bears (37-12, 8-7 Big 12).

On Saturday, shortly after a senior day ceremony in honor of ISU pitcher Rachel Zabriskie, the lone senior on the Iowa State roster, the Cyclones beat Baylor 6-4.

“It’s just great, because she has done so much for us and for our program,” ISU coach Stacy Gemeinhardt-Cesler said of getting Zabriskie a senior day win. “It’s hard to find the words because she does everything off the field, she does everything on the field and I just can’t picture somebody doing it any better than she has.”

The Cyclones struck first on Saturday in the bottom of the second inning on an Anna Cole RBI single.

The two teams then traded blows, each scoring one run in the third inning.

In the top of the fifth inning, with the Cyclones leading 2-1, Baylor shortstop Dani Leal stepped to the plate and hit a two-run homer to give the Bears their first lead of the game.

ISU first baseman Erica Miller answered the bell in the bottom of the inning with a two-run homer of her own.

The home run by Miller was her 11th of the year, tying the school record for most home runs in a season, originally set by Lindsey Herrin in 2002.

When Baylor evened the score in the top of the sixth, the Cyclones again responded and manufactured two more runs in the bottom of the inning to take the 6-4 lead.

After the Bears loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the seventh, the Cyclone defense responded with three straight outs to preserve the win.

“Today I was thinking that if I’m going to win any game, this would be the game, just to thank Rachel because she’s done so much for the team,” Miller said.

On Sunday, the Cyclone offense did not fare quite as well against Baylor’s ace pitcher, Whitney Canion.

After picking up her ninth loss of the season on Saturday, Canion came back on Sunday and held Cyclone hitters to just one run on four hits.

ISU freshman pitcher Bree Holliday got the start and lasted until early in the sixth inning when Clare Hosack hit a solo home run to give Baylor a 3-1 lead.

“I was proud of Bree, I thought that was the best that she’s thrown all year, which I think is really really positive,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. “I think she did a great job finding of her change-up and getting it to work, which is key for her.”

In two innings of relief work, Lauren Kennewell struggled to slow down the Baylor attack, giving up seven more runs.

The lone Cyclone run in the 10-1 loss was off a Tori Torrescano solo homer in the bottom of the fouth.

The Cyclones will be back in action next weekend for a pair of games at Oklahoma, starting Saturday at 2 p.m.