On a warm, spring afternoon at Cap Timm Field, the Minnesota State-Mankato starting pitcher delivered the first pitch of the afternoon.

The scene wasn’t extraordinary: two club teams playing ball at a once-proud stadium with just a handful of supporters in attendance. But nevertheless, the baseball season has begun again in Ames.

Despite Iowa State playing at home, it was technically the away team, since the schedule called for it to travel up to Mankato. But due to the fields not being ready, the Mavericks drove down Saturday morning in time for the 1 p.m. first pitch of a three-game series against the two conference foes.

“I think as a whole it’s a lot better for us just because we can sleep in our own beds and not at a hotel and don’t have that temptation to go out in Mankato,” said ISU player-coach Tyler Strub.

Iowa State gained the lead in the series opener and held on for an 8-7 victory. The Cyclones did commit four errors but were able to get timely hitting to compensate.

In the second half of the Saturday doubleheader, with the game tied at one apiece, the Cyclones broke through in the sixth. After a walk and hit batter chased the Mankato starter from the game, Cyclone Zach Simons drove a two-run triple into deep right-center. A Justin Sullivan sacrifice fly scored Simons, finishing the three-run rally for the Cyclones.

“I felt great. It’s been a while since I’ve hit a ball that well,” Simons said. “I was just sitting dead-red first pitch, and I got it and I ripped it.”

But Mankato answered, as errors allowed the Mavericks to get three runs of their own in the sixth. Then, in the seventh, more miscues cost the game for Iowa State, as another error by Sullivan allowed the bases loaded with no outs. An error at second on a grounder pushed the final run across, giving Mankato the 5-4 victory.

“It’s frustrating giving up more than three outs per inning,” said starter Jeff Peterson. “It’s frustrating as a pitcher, but you have to understand where these guys are coming from and realize mistakes are going to happen, and you can’t get down about it.”

The Sunday matinee featured a solid pitching outing by the Mankato starter. Iowa State, however, came up with yet another rally in the top half of the seventh. A three-run rally was highlighted by an RBI triple and a pair of sacrifice flies. In the bottom half, Iowa State got quick two outs but loaded the bases. On a passed ball in the seventh, Mankato ran home with the game-winner, 4-3 the final.

“In the second game, errors killed us. We had a lot of errors that second game,” Strub said. “I don’t really know why it happens but it does.”

Iowa State drops to 3-4 overall on the season. They next play a home series against the University of South Dakota. The first game is at noon Saturday at Cap Timm Field in Ames.