Who’s on first?

On Tuesday it wasn’t Sydni Jones, the 2008 second team All-Big 12 selection that has started 98 of Iowa State’s last 101 games, but rather Katie Harms, who has seen limited playing time due to a nagging injury.

In fact, a glance at the ISU score card will reveal that nobody was in their normal spot expect for pitcher Rachel Zabriskie.

Courtney Wray, who has played mostly third base this season, got the start at shortstop. Harms, Dalyn Varela, and Jacquelyn Beatty, who have shared the bulk of the designated hitting responsibilities this year, played first, second, and third base respectivly. Emily Gilbert got her first start at catcher.

The outfield starters were the same as the last seven games, but the Cyclones moved center fielder, Kelsey Kidwell to her sisters position in left field. Heidi Kidwell moved to right field, and right fielder Bianca Lopez got the start in center field.

The players were not aware of the drastic changes to the line-up until right before the game.

“We have been struggling here as of late and we haven’t had a lot of consistency,” head coach Stacy Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. “I felt that at this point it was just time to try something different. I felt like we were going down a path where we just sit there and go through the motions and I just didn’t want to do that.”

Along with trying to shake things up for the Cyclones, Gemeinhardt-Cesler was trying to send a message to the team.

“The main message that coach was trying to put across is that we are a team,” Harms said. “It doesn’t matter if one individual plays or another individual. We have to be supportive of each other and play as a team.”

Unfortunately for the Cyclones, that message didn’t manifest itself in the form of a win, as they fell to the Cornhuskers 10-0, stretching their losing streak to seven games.

“We had two hits, we were never really a threat to score and that’s the same thing that we have been battling before,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said.

Despite the unsuccessful attempt at resuscitating the team, Gemeinhardt-Cesler isn’t ruling out a similar line-up on Thursday for the second game against Nebraska.

“A lot of it will depend on how people come to practice tomorrow,” Gemeinhardt-Celser said. “So we are just going to go day by day for the rest of the time.”

Even the lone constant in the Cyclones line-up, Zabriskie, did not stay in the game too long as the Cornhuskers had her timed, scoring seven runs — two earned — and belting two home runs against her in the first 1.1 innings.

Freshman pitcher Lauren Kennewell, who had pitched just two innings due to injury this season came into the game and took over for Zabriskie, making the line-up completely unrecognizable.

“It felt good to be back,” Kennewell said. “I mean, I’ve gotten to throw in a couple innings, but this thing I got to throw more then one. It feels good to be in control and out there. I’ve been waiting to pitch Big 12 softball since I was eight years old, so it’s nice to finally get out there and show everyone what I can do.”

Kennewell pitched the final 3.2 innings for the Cyclones, allowing three runs, two earned, on for hits and three walks. She also struck out one batter.

“I feel I can do a lot better,” Kennewell said. “I just have to work on consistency a lot more and I have to get more pitches working but it will come with time.”

Kennewell is returning from a broken arm that she sustained in the off-season. Although she is no longer on a pitch count, she is not yet 100 percent.

“Some days it will hurt, but I’ve been doing treatment and that helps a lot,” Kennewell said. “The strength is the big thing, trying to get the strength back.”