It helps to have a team where both seniors and underclassmen contribute.

That’s what happened for the ISU softball team this weekend at the Bulldog Round Robin. The Cyclones (2-3) split two games with host Mississippi State, dropped two close decisions to Kennesaw State and defeated Purdue.

The Cyclones lost their first game of the season when Kennesaw State plated two runs in the top of the seventh, which ended up being the final margin. Iowa State had the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the inning but could not bring the runner home.

Senior catcher Ashley Killeen had two doubles in the game and senior pitcher Alyssa Ransom picked up the loss, allowing two earned runs.

Iowa State finished out Friday with a 9-3 loss to the host Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Five errors cost junior pitcher Amie Ford, as only four of the nine runs she allowed were earned. Freshman first baseman Alex Johnson had an RBI in her second consecutive game to open her career.

Coach Stacy Gemeinhardt-Cesler said her team made great adjustments after the losses Friday.

“We didn’t really play very well at all,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. “We played pretty well the rest of the weekend.”

The Cyclones evened their record Saturday when they picked up their two victories. In a 3-0 victory over Purdue, the Iowa State effort was spearheaded by Killeen’s 15th career home run and a four-hit shutout pitched by Ford (1-1).

The Cyclones then defeated the Bulldogs 8-3, avenging the previous day’s loss. Ransom tossed a complete game for the victory and freshman shortstop Courtney Wray went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

The Cyclones finished out play Sunday with a disappointing 3-1 loss to Kennesaw State. Iowa State out-hit the Owls with 12 hits but could not plate a run when needed. Ransom (1-2) pitched well again, but was the hard-luck loser.

Gemeinhardt-Cesler said she was pleased with the performance Sunday even with the loss.

“We played great on Saturday,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. “We had 12 hits but we stranded nine runners, and that makes it hard to win.”