The ISU softball team is back on track and will bring a three-game winning streak to College Station, Texas, this weekend as it will battle with Big 12 Conference opponent Texas A&M.

The Cyclones are coming off a school-record 12-inning game on Wednesday in which they defeated No. 24 Iowa 4-3.

Iowa State jumped out to a 2-0 lead as senior catcher Katie Ruby, who was recently named Big 12 player of the week, hit a two-run home run.

Ruby’s home run went over the center field scoreboard and it was the fourth consecutive game in which she has hit a homer.

“Katie is providing a spark for us,” ISU head coach Ruth Crowe said. “The fans at Iowa have never seen a ball go over the scoreboard before. That was a towering home run and it was big for us.”

The Cyclones would add another run off of the Hawkeyes’ No. 1 pitcher, Lisa Birocci, to make it 3-0. The Hawkeyes brought in Ali Arnold to relieve Birocci in the third inning. Arnold was able to shut down the Cyclones and the Hawkeye offense rallied with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and one in the seventh to make it 3-3.

In the top of the 12th inning, Iowa State’s senior pitcher/first baseman Lindsey Herrin scored the game-winning run on a Iowa throwing error.

“Any time a Big 12 team beats a Big Ten team that is in the top of the conference, that’s big. And since it was an intra-state game, it’s huge,” Crowe said. “We were able to get to Birocci right away. We persevered a little longer then they did towards the end. They made the error [in the 12th] and we capitalized on it.”

Senior pitcher/outfielder Erica Martinez’s pitched all 12 innings as she improves to 10-7 on the season. She scattered nine hits, struck out two and walked one.

Crowe called Martinez pitching performance very gusty.

“Late in the game, I asked her if she was all right and she said she was,” Crowe said. “She was getting tired, but she hung in there. They were hitting her in the sixth inning. Later in the game, she shut them down and we made the plays defensively.”

Now the attention will be Texas A&M, who is coming off a sweep over nonconference opponent Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Wednesday.

Crowe said they have never played well against the Aggies, who have an 18-1 home record this season.

“It’ll be nice to get one and maybe even two wins this weekend,” Crowe said. “We just have to take care of business from here on out.”

Texas A&M is led offensively by senior catcher Selena Collins with a .308 batting average, 11 home runs and 38 RBIs. Junior pitcher Lindsey Wilhelmson leads the Aggies pitching with a 15-4 record and is second on the team with a 1.73 ERA.

Meanwhile, the Cyclones are led in batting by junior second baseman/shortstop Julia Lindsey with a .315 average. Ruby has a team leading five home runs and 18 RBIs.

Senior third baseman Adi Blackmon said this weekend’s games should provide some excitement.

“It’s going to be a battle and both teams are coming out all barrels,” she said.

After playing against Texas A&M, Iowa State will return to action on Monday as they host Oklahoma State in a doubleheader with the first pitch in game one set for noon.