When the Cyclones went down 1-0 in the third inning, it looked like history was repeating itself. The ISU team has traditionally been unable to recover from the habit of falling behind early but history didn’t repeat itself because of the unlikely offensive force of junior Jennifer Bigbee.

Bigbee’s two-out blast in the third inning over the left field wall – the first home run of her career – gave the Cyclones a 2-1 lead they never gave up en route to a 5-2 win.

“We were down and they had [pitcher Jessica] Hicks in, who we usually struggle against,” ISU pitcher Alyssa Ransom said. “For Bigbee to hit a home run off her and put us up, that was really the turning point.”

It was Bigbee’s home run that loosened up the rest of a Cyclone offense that proceeded to score three more runs in the fourth inning, giving them a 5-1 lead.

“Hitting is definitely contagious and I definitely think everybody felt a lot better,” said coach Gemeinhardt. “Sometimes we get down and have to battle, battle, battle to get back, but she came right back with that home run, so I think that really helped to loosen everybody.”

The home run helped to loosen a team that had already stranded three runners in scoring position.

“It’s very frustrating because of the way things have been lately, every run counts,” Ransom said. “But we ended up getting five runs and it didn’t come back to haunt us like it usually does.”

The five runs the offense scored was its most since beating Oklahoma State on March 25 with a score of 7-0.

For the first time in a while it was the offense that was performing at a higher level than both the pitching and the defense. The offense was able to pick up a defense that committed two errors, and a pitcher – Alyssa Ransom – who allowed two runs on 10 hits. It’s a trend the team hopes to see continue.

“I thought we hit the ball well the last game against Tech and it just didn’t go our way,” Gemeinhardt said. “I still think it’s a good thing to get the win when you’re out hit.”

Ransom, who has been the victim of a number of close losses, was particularly thankful for the offensive outbreak.

“It feels good because I haven’t won since Spring Break,” Ransom said. “It’s nice to get a win finally and not only that, it was a home-game win.”

The win was Ransom’s first since she shut-out Central Connecticut March 18.

Drake didn’t go quietly, loading the bases in the seventh inning before Ransom was finally able to shut the door. The scare in the seventh led Ransom to appreciate the cushion that the offense had provided for her.

“It takes a lot of pressure away once you get four or five runs on the board,” Ransom said.

“In that last inning, if it was only 3-2, that’s hard for a pitcher, but since we had a cushion I knew I just had to get that batter.”

The win – the Cyclones first home win – was especially refreshing for a Cyclones team that was looking to rebound from two devastating Big 12 losses last weekend.

“We worked really hard this weekend and things just didn’t seem to go our way,” Bigbee said. “So coming back out today and working hard and putting the ball in play did the job and got the win.”

The Cyclones move to 17-18 on the season, and attempt to climb back to .500 Wednesday when they take on Northern Iowa at 4 p.m. at the Southwest Athletic Complex.