Despite a treacherous start to the 2005 season, the ISU softball team is climbing the ranks and capturing wins along the way.

After coming away from their first two tournaments with only one win to their credit, the Cyclones garnered their second victory in the first game of the Fresno State Bulldog Classic last weekend and came home with a 5-10 record, miles away from the 1-8 record they took into California.

The team will spend its spring break in the South, vying for more chances to improve its record. Iowa State first travels to Tallahassee, Fla., where it faces 13-12 Radford University at 10 a.m. Friday.

“We’re starting to get key hits, and we plan to pick up where we left off last weekend,” said pitcher Katie Reichling.

“We need to keep getting runners on and continue our good defensive game.”

The Cyclones end the day with a contest against No. 21 Florida State, who has produced a 15-8 record overall and is 3-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Seminoles are led by reigning ACC Player of the Week LaShaun Davis, who averaged .417 in five games, as well as a .750 slugging percentage.

Saturday pits Iowa State against St. John’s (6-8-2), which is struggling after going 21-29 last season. The Cyclones wrap up the day at 4 p.m. against Eastern Kentucky.

The Lady Colonels are stinging after a 5-1 loss to Michigan State, setting their record at 6-6.

After meeting Florida State again on Tuesday, Iowa State wraps up the Florida State Invite at 2 p.m. Wednesday against Florida A&M.

Iowa State is led by outfielder Kim Rodgers and shortstop Cary Akins, who both sport a .250 hitting percentage, followed by Reichling at .231.

Rodgers owns the team advantages in hits, runs and doubles. Infielder Jessica Quade has seven RBIs on the season and is tied for fourth in the Big 12 in walks.

The Cyclones end their jaunt in the South with two games in Troy, Ala., against host Troy on Thursday and Friday. The Trojans are 16-8 on the season, and boast strong pitching from both Laine Harcourt and Kacie Flinn.

ISU players said they are optimistic after the recent wins and feel they are headed in the right direction.

“We just have to try and stay at the top of our game and get everything working,” said pitcher Alyssa Ransom. “Our offense has stepped up a lot.

“We don’t get down about losses, and we try to stay positive; we don’t let them affect us. We have that ability to bounce back.”

Iowa State showed that ability to bounce back last weekend. After the Cyclones won their first game, No. 4 UCLA handed them two straight losses. Iowa State then rattled off three consecutive wins, finishing the tournament 4-2. It capped the weekend with a 4-3 clincher over Mississippi after a three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh by Quade.

“I think Charleston was a turning point for us, because before that we couldn’t seem to finish,” Ransom said. “But I think we started another turning point where we can actually follow through and get the win.”