The intrastate rivalry games begin Thursday for the ISU softball squad when it hosts Drake at the Southwest Athletic Complex.

The Cyclones are fresh off a doubleheader sweep of North Dakota State, whom they nipped 4-3 in the first game and then downed 6-1 in the next contest. Sophomore Katie Reichling and senior Diana Reuter played pivotal roles in both contests, each slapping a home run to help the team secure the final win.

Iowa State is jumping on the chance to keep its home winning streak alive with a matchup against the Bulldogs, who are 11-10 overall and 3-3 in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Cyclones bring an 11-15 overall record into the contest and are 0-2 in the Big 12.

“Drake is very good and at the top of the Missouri Valley [Conference],” said ISU head coach Ruth Crowe. “They will be a tough challenge.”

The Bulldogs are riding the powerful play of junior Shanna Cook, who is leading the team with a .344 batting average. She is followed by sophomores Lindsay Larry and Jenna Wilkin, who are tied at .328. All three are also tied with 21 hits apiece.

Larry has 17 runs and seven stolen bases under her belt, while Cook has accumulated 15 RBIs and two home runs. Freshman Jaci Faidley has also successfully nabbed seven bases.

Iowa State is averaging .213 as a team. Reichling leads the team with a .328 mark, followed by Stephanie Mosley at .300. Reichling is tied with Ashley Killeen with 19 hits, and Kim Rodgers has scored 10 runs.

Drake relies on the pitching of freshman Kristin Birocci, who is 4-2 on the year, and junior Jessica Hicks, who is 7-8.

Last year, the Cyclones ended a three-game losing streak to Drake with a 6-3 win against the Bulldogs under the power of former Cyclone Julia Lindsey and Rodgers. Iowa State nabbed eight hits and committed one error in the contest.

The Cyclones know Drake will be ready for them and, despite recent wins, the squad must be prepared.

“We have to come out from the very beginning,” Reichling said. “We can’t start out slow; we really have to push it to them.”

Crowe said the game is a stepping stone to future games.

“They’re going to take it at us, and this will be good preparation for the Big 12,” she said.

The first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Southwest Athletic Complex.