A little rain didn’t ruin the ISU softball team’s Spring Break, as the Cyclones came out on the victorious side of a 4-3 break standing. The team’s record is now 9-14.

With a 2-3 record on the break, Iowa State’s second round of games with Florida A&M and No. 24 Florida State were canceled because of heavy rainfall. The Cyclones took those missed opportunities and translated them into wins March 17 and 18 against Troy State.

Iowa State began its Spring Break run March 11 with a barrage of hits against Radford and then-No. 21 Florida State.

Iowa State gained an early lead against Radford, but the opponent mustered a devastating second inning that put the Cyclones back 5-1. Iowa State would rally for three more runs, but Radford prevailed with a 6-4 decision on an 11-hit effort by the Cyclones. Katie Reichling wounded the Highlanders’ defense with three hits, two RBIs and a run, and seven Cyclone teammates contributed hits as well. Sophomore Alyssa Ransom took the loss after sharing time on the mound with Reichling.

The Cyclones found themselves in a defensive duel in their next matchup with Florida State but suffered a 1-0 heartbreaker for their second defeat of the day. Each team was held scoreless until the final inning, when Florida State used its home advantage to nab a run and the win. Ashley Killeen was phenomenal for the Cyclones, going 3-for-3 and tallying all but one of the Cyclones’ hits as Fallon Johnson garnered the remainder. Ransom struck out four in the loss, spiraling her record to 3-8.

The next day began in the same fashion when Iowa State couldn’t get past a hard-driving St. Joseph’s squad that outlasted the Cyclones 7-2. The Hawks produced a sensational fifth inning that upped their runs from two to seven.

Reichling was 3-for-3 at the plate, and senior Amber Wood was behind the bat that sent home Iowa State’s only runs. Reichling took the loss, dropping her record on the mound to 2-4.

The luck of the Cyclones changed in their next outing, a 7-6 squeaker against Eastern Kentucky. Behind the aggressive throwing of Ransom and a clutch game-winning single by freshman Stephanie Mosley, Iowa State was able to nab its sixth win of the year.

The Cyclones capped the Florida State Tournament with another win under its belt, this time pounding Florida A&M by a 7-4 score. Reichling received all-tournament honors for the Cyclones with great performances against Radford and St. Joseph’s.

On Tuesday, the Cyclones were 2 1/3 innings into a rematch with Florida State when the game was called and then had to cancel a game the following day against Florida A&M. Neither game was made up.

Perhaps a few days rest was exactly what the Cyclones needed, because when competition resumed Thursday, Iowa State exploded in fighting form. In the first of a two contests at host Troy State, Iowa State was able to nip the Trojans 2-1.

Leadoff singles from Misty Kimura and Jennifer Bigbee, as well as a walk from Kim Rodgers, set the stage for Jessica Quade to execute a drive to left field that brought Kimura home. Later ,Kimura got her chance to bat in Kristy Olsen, who reached base on a hit pitch and a sacrifice bunt before coming home on Kimura’s single to center. Despite looming scoring scares from Troy State, the Cyclones played errorless ball, and Ransom picked up her fifth win of the year on five strikeouts.

Iowa State completed its Spring Break journey with its fourth straight win, another victory over Troy State on Friday. This time, the Cyclones pulled off a 3-0 shutout by gaining all of their runs in the fifth inning. Kimura, Bigbee and Cary Akins all singled in the contest as Iowa State again kept its errors to none. Reichling gave up six hits while plumping her record to an even 4-4.