The youthful Iowa State softball team ran into a desert storm during their spring break trip to Arizona last week.

“It was kind of a tough tournament,” Cyclone pitcher Mandy Loushin said.

ISU played five of its eight games on the trip against teams ranked in the top ten nationally. Two of the games came against the top ranked Arizona Wildcats, while three were versus the eighth-ranked Sun Devils of Arizona State.

The Cyclones, whose lineup consisted mainly of freshmen and sophomores, finished the trip with a record of 2-6 to drop their overall record to 4-10 on the season.

Despite the less than spectacular results, the Cyclones were pleased with their overall performance.

Cyclone Coach Ruth Crowe said, “I thought we played well overall during the trip; I’m feeling good where we are right now.”

ISU center fielder Missy Danilson added, “We did pretty well considering how young we are and the caliber of competition we faced.”

The trip included some bright spots for the Cyclones, the most notable accomplishment was a 1-0 upset of the Sun Devils in the opener of a doubleheader in Tempe on March 17.

“It was kind of fun beating ASU,” Loushin said.

ISU’s other victory was also in Tempe. The Cyclones defeated Stephen F. Austin by a score of 6-1 at the Diamond Devil Classic on March 21.

Loushin, who Crowe said pitched “very well,” also provided some sunshine on the week-long trip. She tossed both wins for the Cyclones.

Loushin hurled a two-hit shutout for the win against the Sun Devils as she struck out ten while only walking one. In the victory over Stephen F. Austin, she threw a four hitter, allowing only one earned run and striking out nine without allowing a walk.

Loushin declined to comment on her performance but was very supportive of the effort behind the plate by catcher Erin Woods.

“Erin hit great; she’s my catcher, and she’s awesome,” she said.

Woods played a key role in the Cyclone victory against Stephen F. Austin. She went 3-for-4 with a triple and an RBI. She also recorded 10 putouts in the game, tallied one assist and played without committing an error.

ISU opens Big 12 competition at home this upcoming Saturday and Sunday. The team will host a pair of double headers versus the Texas A&M Aggies and Texas Longhorns. Both teams present challenges to the young Cyclone squad.

“We need to play well and get off to a fast start, because both teams have winning records,” Crowe said.