The Cyclone softball team gets a chance for redemption and payback Tuesday when the Northern Iowa Panthers come to Ames.

Iowa State (16-13) did not have to wait long to get a second shot at UNI, as it is just six days removed from a 4-2 Panther victory in Cedar Falls. It was a forgettable performance by the Cyclones, one that ISU coach Stacy Gemeinhardt-Cesler called “absolutely unacceptable.”

“The biggest thing we need to do is, depending on who they throw, we need to make better adjustments and keep our mistakes down,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. “That last game we played them, we made a lot of errors and … mental mistakes.”

In the two teams’ previous meeting, the Cyclones’ offense was nowhere to be found as they managed two runs on just three hits.

UNI pitcher Jaye Hutcheson was a force, throwing inside pitches repeatedly for strikeouts and easy plays for her defense. Hutcheson struck out nine Cyclone batters, the most of any opposing pitcher yet this season.

“We just need to attack them and score runs right away, because I think if we do that and get on them early, they’ll lose confidence,” said Cyclone first baseman Erica Miller. “Because right now, they think they can beat us. We have something to prove to ourselves, that we can still come out and beat down teams.”

The lone bright spot for the Cyclones in their last matchup with the Panthers was freshman right fielder Anna Cole.

Cole went 2-of-3 at the plate, scoring both of Iowa State’s runs and hitting the first home run of her Cyclone career. Cole appeared to be the only Cyclone to make the proper adjustments against Hutcheson’s inside pitches, fouling them off until she got a pitch she liked.

Since the Panthers’ (20-14) last meeting with the Cyclones, they have gone 2-1, taking two of three in a series against Southern Illinois.

The Cyclones, meanwhile, are trying to snap a three-game losing streak after losing the second game of a doubleheader against Creighton and dropping two games against Big 12 foe Texas A&M.

“Right now, we just need to start playing like every game is important and come out hungry and really take it to them,” said ISU catcher Amandine Habben.

The Cyclones have not lost two games to UNI in the same season since the 2004-2005 campaign that saw the Panthers sweep the season series.

The game will start at 4 p.m. at the Southwest Athletic Complex in Ames.