The ISU softball team went into its doubleheader with Missouri tied for seventh in Big 12 standings at 4-8. When all was said and done, the two teams found themselves back where they started with records of 5-9 after Missouri won the first game 8-3 and Iowa State took the second 3-2.

“We’ve been coming out and winning the first game then dropping the second one,” said pitcher Alyssa Ransom. “I think it showed a whole new side of ourselves to lose the first pretty bad and then come back and beat them in the second.”

After losing the first game, Iowa State experienced a feeling that had been familiar throughout the season: There might be problems bouncing back for game two.

“I was really proud of them because I thought that was a definite sign of how far we’ve come and where we are going,” said coach Stacy Gemeinhardt. “In the past I don’t think we necessarily would have done that.”

Gemeinhardt, however, talked to her players between games to help refocus them, which seemed to pay off.

“It seemed like the first game [in which] we were up against the rope the whole time, and I thought they did a good job really changing their approach to the game,” Gemeinhardt said.

Iowa State came back to tie the second game in the second inning at 1-1 and again in the third at 2-2, showing resiliency.

“I think that in order to get behind and come back – if you’re tight and hesitant you’re not able to do that,” Gemeinhardt said. “If you’re having a good time and letting the bad go, then you are able to come back.”

The comeback was finished when left fielder Katie Reichling, who was coming off three home runs Tuesday, hit a fifth-inning triple to score Kristy Olsen, giving the Cyclones a 3-2 lead.

“Sometimes the hardest at-bats are when you come back from that big day yesterday because you feel like people are expecting things,” Gemeinhardt said. “I think [Reichling’s] first couple at-bats . didn’t look super-comfortable, but she laced that ball and it was huge.”

Reichling did not hold the only lively bat at the plate. Ashley Killeen broke the ISU single season mark of 38 runs batted in with her 39th and 40th of the season.

The lead was never relinquished thanks in part to the pitching of Ransom, who replaced starter Amie Ford and shut down Missouri for the remainder of the game. Ransom was coming off a tough performance in the first game in which she allowed seven earned runs, making her performance that much more impressive.

“I didn’t have the right mindset in the first game, and it definitely showed,” Ransom said. “The coaches really got my head straight and I was ready to pitch again.”

The switch from Ford to Ransom did seem unusual because Ford had allowed only two runs, but Gemeinhardt had her reasons.

“It is not that Ford has done anything wrong, but Ransom has been competing so well, to the point where we thought she could do better,” Gemeinhardt said.

“After she said she could definitely do better, I had a lot of confidence that she was going to do what she said.”

The Cyclones are now 23-23 overall and take to the road to battle Baylor twice this weekend.