The third time wasn’t the charm for the ISU softball team against Texas Tech on Sunday.

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh and a one-run lead, freshman pitcher Rachel Zabriskie gave up a game-tying home run. After a Courtney Wray home run in the eighth inning, Texas Tech tied the game after loading the bases with two outs on a Zabriskie wild pitch.

But after gaining the lead for the third time in the 10th inning, Zabriskie gave up a game-tying double, then a one-out single to left field allowing the runner from second to advance home for the win, 4-3.

The inability to close out the Red Raiders (20-33, 7-9 Big 12) spoiled a 9.1-inning performance by Zabriskie, who shut out Texas Tech through 6.2 innings.

The loss for the Cyclones (26-25, 3-12 Big 12) was their second of the weekend to Texas Tech.

Iowa State’s Charissa Carlin got in big trouble early Saturday, giving up four first-inning runs before being relieved by Zabriskie, who gave up one of her own. Despite Zabriskie’s holding the Red Raiders to just one more run after the first inning, the lead for the Red Raiders was to much for the Cyclones to overcome, as the offense sputtered, scoring just one run to lose, 6-1. The Cyclones’ lone run in the game came on a Sydni Jones home run, her seventh of the year.

After a tough weekend, the Cyclones are in the midst of a six-game losing streak, with their last home win coming when they run-ruled Nebraska 13-4 on April 15.

The 26 wins for the Cyclones are the most since they went 32-18-1 in 1989, and with a strong finish, this Cyclone team could become the first to finish above .500 since the 1999 team finished 23-20 (.535).

The best the Cyclones can finish in the regular season is 31-25 (.553) and the worst is 26-30 (.464).

Even in the worst-case scenario, the record ensures two of the top three seasons between 1996 and 2008 belong to coach Stacy Gemeinhardt-Cesler, who took over the program before the 2006 season.