The ISU softball team once again battled tough conditions in their home doubleheader against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits.

The Cyclones (21-30) overcame the elements to take the opener of a doubleheader, 2-1, and were leading in the third inning of the second game 1-0 when it was called due to wet and cold conditions.

Coach Stacy Gemeinhardt-Cesler said it was great winning a close game after losing a 3-2 decision in 10 innings to Oklahoma last Friday.

“It’s good to play well and then win on top of it,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. “It was great to jump out and get a run in the second game and I wish we could have gotten it in.”

The Jackrabbits (10-21) struck first in the top of the second inning with their lone run but were silenced from then on by senior pitcher Alyssa Ransom, who battled out of several jams thanks to the Cyclones’ defense.

Ransom said it was great to have such a hard-working defensive performance behind her.

“It was another game where leadoff hitters were getting most of the time,” Ransom said. “We got out of a lot jams and they did awesome.”

Ransom went the distance in the extra inning loss to the Sooners, and said that performance gave her some extra confidence against SDSU.

“It just gave me that little confidence hanging in there for ten innings with the No. 2 [Sooners],” Ransom said. “I can tell myself when I’m out there that I can throw this pitch at this moment because it worked against the leading hitter in the nation.”

Iowa State got both of its runs in the third inning when it loaded the bases with no outs. Freshmen Courtney Wray and Alex Johnson both drove in runs with ground outs and the Cyclones shut down the Jackrabbits for the rest of the game.

Senior first baseman Jessica Quade, who was 2-3 with a single and a double in the shortened doubleheader, said seeing the same pitcher in both games helped the team out.

“We jumped right on top of her, but they made some good plays,” Quade said. “We didn’t get a couple of hits to go our way but we hit the ball really well today.”

Both teams made some spectacular catches in the games but the biggest one was made by Cyclone senior center fielder Fallon Johnson.

With one runner on second and two out in the sixth inning, Johnson tracked down a ball in the gap off the bat of Jackrabbit designated player Dani Broshar and made a stellar over-the-shoulder catch to end the scoring threat.

Weather permitting, the Cyclones will try to ride the momentum of today’s performance when it travels to Des Moines for a doubleheader Wednesday with the Drake Bulldogs (12-26).

Gemeinhardt-Cesler said she expects a good game just because it is an in-state rivalry.

“There is some bragging rights there so we have to be prepared and focused,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said.

“If the weather’s bad, the weather’s bad and that’s uncontrollable, we have to worry about the things we can control,” she said.