The Cyclones tried to beat Drake with small ball, but the Bulldogs’ long ball put them over the edge against Iowa State, knocking in the winning runs in a 3-2 victory Tuesday at the Southwest Athletic Complex in Ames.

The Bulldogs homered in the third and sixth innings, accounting for all three runs in the game.

Prior to the sixth inning, the Bulldogs only had one baserunner in the game while the Cyclones had runners on base in five of the seven innings but could not bring anybody around to score.

“We had a lot of chances,” said coach Stacy Gemeinhardt-Cesler. “We had runners on second and third maybe three times and eventually stranded nine runners. Obviously it makes it hard and we need to take advantage of the opportunities that are given to us.”

Drake’s junior first baseman Molly McClelland provided the game’s first run when she sent a towering shot over the left field fence that gave the Bulldogs an early 1-0 lead.

“I made a low pitch to [McClelland] and all she has to do is connect with it to make it go out, I provide the speed,” said ISU junior pitcher Rachel Zabriskie. “I wish I knew why I have so many home runs hit off me and I want to fix it but it’s something I try not to think about as much as I can.” The Cyclones used their patented small ball style to break an early one-run lead.

In the fifth inning, with runners on second and third, Iowa State’s senior Alex Johnson came up to bat and cranked a ball towards the left field wall, but it died and hit the base of the fence — scoring just one runner.

“I obviously don’t hit that many home runs but I just feel better when there’s runners on base and I feel more confident,” Johnson said. “I was just thinking ‘hit the ball hard with runners in scoring position’ and was trying to do my job because I just wanted to score, I didn’t care if it went out.”

Several minutes later, with the Bulldogs up in the sixth, senior shortstop Elena Leon cranked one over the right field fence with a runner on and put Drake back into the lead.

This time they would hold on to it.

The Cyclones made some noise in the seventh inning, making a last-ditch effort to climb back into the game.

With two outs, ISU senior infielder Courtney Wray struck out but was able to make it to third as the pitch hit the backstop. Johnson was then hit by a pitch, moving the tying run to second base, but senior Sydni Jones hit a line-drive right at the third baseman Carrie Hatfield end the game.

The loss brings the team’s losing streak to three games and drops its record against the Bulldogs this season to 2-1. Iowa State will travel to Des Moines for a rematch against Drake 4 p.m. Thursday.