CEDAR FALLS — An anemic offensive performance from the Cyclone softball team Thursday led to a 4-2 defeat at the hands of the UNI Panthers.

It was the first regular season loss for the Cyclones against Northern Iowa since March 25, 2009.

“We didn’t come ready and we weren’t prepared to play and that is completely unacceptable,” said Cyclone coach Stacy Gemeinhardt-Cesler. “To get to where we want to be at the end of the year, that just can’t happen.”

The Cyclones only registered three hits against Panther pitcher Jaye Hutcheson, with two of those coming off the bat of Cyclone freshman right fielder Anna Cole.

“We had a hard time making adjustments. [Hutcheson] kept sawing us off, making us hit off the hands,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. “Anna Cole did a nice job of adjusting, but outside of that we just didn’t get the job done.”

The Panthers came out attacking offensively, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning, highlighted by UNI catcher Courtney Dunker’s two-run homer. Panther shortstop Mackenzie Daigh also jumped on a pitch in the fifth inning, smashing it over the fence in center field.

The Cyclone defense did not help themselves, committing two key errors that put runners on base.

“It was just bad all the way around. We can’t make errors like that. We can’t come out and not be focused,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. “Those were routine plays. Balls in and out of gloves can’t happen and balls rolling between legs can’t happen. We’re better than that and we should never play like that.”

Cyclone pitcher Rachel Zabriskie threw the entire game, striking out six batters and giving up four runs on six hits. The loss brings Zabriskie’s record to 9-6 on the season.

“We’ve been working on consistency all year and that game was the opposite of consistency,” Zabriskie said.

Cole scored both of the team’s runs, including her solo home run in the seventh, her first homer as a Cyclone.

“Their pitcher threw me really inside and I had to jump out of the way, and the next pitch she threw me inside again and I hit it off my shin, which really hurt, so that kind of fired me up,” Cole said. “I knew she was going to throw at me inside again so I was ready to hit it.”

The Cyclones will try to end their two-game losing streak this Thursday against Creighton.

“We just need to put this behind us and forget about it. This game is over,” Zabriskie said. “We need to come out and beat somebody. So, sorry for Creighton, but they’re next.”

The Cyclones will play the Blue Jays in the first game of a double-header at 2 p.m. at Southwest Athletic Complex in Ames. The second game is scheduled to start at 4 p.m.