In the second installment of the battle for Interstate 35, the ISU softball team will head to Des Moines on Tuesday to take on central Iowa rival Drake.

The Cyclones (17-17, 1-5 Big 12) defeated the Bulldogs (24-13, 10-1), 3-2, at the Tulsa Invitational in early March.

“We already beat them once this year, and I believe we can beat them again and gain some more confidence heading into this weekend,” said third baseman Erica Miller.

Iowa State is hoping to use the rematch to catapult back above .500. The women are struggling as of late, having lost six of seven bouts in April.

Defense and pitching have caused headaches for the Cyclones. Top hurler Rachel Zabriskie has been dealt three consecutive losses. The four-pitcher staff has also seen its season ERA steadily rise to 4.11. The defense as a whole has struggled, allowing a staggering 12 runs per game during the recent seven-game stretch.

While the defensive errors have hindered any progress, an inconsistent offense has become a burden as well. With a “go big or go home” mentality, the team has only surpassed the five-run mark once. Despite the inability to score runs, the power hitters have made their presence known.

Dalyn Varela, Miller and Tori Torrescano continue to connect on long balls. Miller leads the way with nine, followed by Torrescano’s eight and Varela’s six.

This exhibition of strength will need to be on display if the squad hopes to make it two in a row against Drake. The 2011 edition of the Bulldog squad is breaking new ground. The squad began the year at 7-0 in Missouri Valley Conference play, a streak never before seen at the school.

After routing rival Wichita State, 6-0, the Bulldogs stand firmly atop the MVC with a 10-1 record. Jenna Delong, 13-4, and Brynne Dordel, 10-8, have established themselves as a one-two punch in the rotation. Delong is just two strikeouts away from tying the all-time Drake record of 680.

Delong and Torrey Craddock have provided the spark offensively. Delong heads up the team with nine homers, and Craddock leads her squad in at bats, total bases, doubles, RBIs and hits.

The women in blue have had an April directly opposite to that of the Cyclones. Standing at 6-1, the Bulldogs have won with defense, allowing less than four runs a game.

Whether it is the desire for revenge or the home field advantage that has yielded an 8-1 record, the Bulldogs are not going to be a simple stepping stone for the Cyclones.

“We’re a good team, but we’ve been struggling in some points, and I know we will bring it back together and attack them,” Varela said.