The first weekend out and the first playing time on dirt for the spring season scored the women’s softball team a 2-4 record in Tempe, Ariz.

The team headed home late Sunday night feeling satisfied with the way the weekend turned out.

“I would have settled for one win out there, but having two wins is great,” head coach Ruth Crowe said.

The Cyclones faced highly ranked western teams this past weekend like Arizona, Oregon State and Cal State-Fullerton.

An upset win for the ladies came against Cal State-Fullerton, which was ranked 10th nationally. Iowa State won in a pitcher’s duel 1-0.

“It was a really big win for us,” pitcher Erica Martinez said. “We played well throughout the whole game.”

“The fact that we could beat a 10th-ranked team our first weekend out made it that much bigger than just beating them, so that win was huge for us,” Crowe said.

The Cyclones also defeated Utah 6-5. The losses included an 11-2 decision against No. 2 Arizona and a 10-2 loss to No. 23 Oregon State.

“It’s one of the best tournaments a team can go to and we’ve never been to that caliber of a tournament,” Crowe said.

For the softball team, this tournament would be compared to the ISU football team playing Florida State, Ohio State and Maryland right in a row, and in a short time period, Crowe said.

Not only did the women have two victories, they also scored against every team as well as achieving a hit against every pitcher they faced.

“It is always a big plus when you can put runs up on the board,” Crowe said. “The challenge then comes from pitching and defense to avoid the other team from scoring.”

Crowe was pleased with the turnout because in the past the team has typically struggled scoring runs against top-ranked teams.

“We played with passion and our hearts,” Kristen Karanzias said.

Martinez was impressed with the pitcher in the loss to Arizona.

“Freshman pitcher Karanzias had a really great game against Arizona,” Martinez said.

“It was a little nerve-racking,” Karanzias said.

“[The seniors’] leadership is the key to our success,” Crowe said. “With seven on the team, they show maturity, know what to expect and are excited to play.

“Whether they have playing time or not, the seniors are supportive and encouraging, which carries the team as one and will help lead the ladies to achieve their goals this spring season,” she said.

The women will be heading to the other side of the country this weekend for the Florida State Tournament in Tallahassee, Fla.