Iowa State softball action heated up over parent and senior weekend at the Southwest Athletic Complex. Despite big efforts, the team came up short against Oklahoma State Saturday and Oklahoma on Sunday.

The Cyclones opened with a doubleheader against 19th-ranked Oklahoma State on Saturday. Tough defense, including pitcher Courtney Dully’s second-game one-hitter, wasn’t enough as the Cowgirls edged out ISU, 5-1 and 1-0.

In between games, players escorted their parents onto the field in recognition of parents day.

Senior Debbie Nease opened game one on the mound, pitching the first four innings. Nease kept OSU batters under control until the top of the fourth when the Cowgirls collected all five of their runs on five hits.

Offensively, the Cyclones had trouble making connections at the plate. OSU pitcher Jenn Markert struck out nine consecutive Cyclone batters before Nease notched ISU’s only run, launching a home run over the left field fence.

Freshman Robyn Riedler and sophomore Raven Coberg each added a single in the sixth and seventh innings, but ISU was unable to capitalize. Oklahoma State held on for a 5-1 triumph.

Nease suffered the loss, striking out one and giving up six total hits. Riedler, who relieved Nease in the fifth, struck out two batters and allowed one hit in the contest.

In the second game, the opponents were deadlocked until the last inning. An OSU batter broke pitcher Courtney Dully’s no-hitter in the top of the seventh, driving in the winning run.

Coberg, Nease and freshman Tiffany Cornine had scattered hits for ISU, but the Cowgirls denied any scoring attempts and grasped the nail-biter, 1-0.

The teams left a total of eight runners each on base.

Dully, who took the loss, struck out 11 batters, allowed just one hit and walked five.

The Cyclones took the field again on Sunday to face Oklahoma in their last conference doubleheader of the season.

A crowd of about 175 people gathered to honor ISU’s five seniors. During the break in games, Head Coach Ruth Crowe and former coach Deb Kuhn honored seniors Jeannie Lobel, Angie McRell, Nease, Dully and Brenna Miller.

In the first game, the competing teams collected a combined total of just seven hits, and ISU encountered another deadlock until late innings.

Although Oklahoma opened the contest by loading the bases with just one out, senior pitcher Dully denied the scoring threat by striking out two consecutive Oklahoma batters.

Sophomore Erin Woods and Miller contributed ISU’s two hits, but the Sooners scored two runs in the sixth and seventh innings to defeat the Cyclones, 2-0.

Dully took the loss, despite striking out 12 batters, walking six and allowing two earned runs on five hits.

The teams ignited a slugfest in the second game. In eight innings, the Cyclones pounded 10 hits. Woods led ISU’s offensive threat, going 3-4 at the plate.

Woods led off the first inning with a double to right field and advanced on freshman Riedler’s sacrifice bunt. Polo drove in Woods with a single, and ISU gained a 1-0 edge.

Oklahoma tied it up in the third and took the lead in the fifth, 3-1, but ISU lit up in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, freshman shortstop Jessica Polo reached on a single and advanced to third on Miller’s double.

Polo then scored on Nease’s single, and Miller scored on a Sooner error. Coberg drove in Nease to put ISU up, 4-3.

But Oklahoma again tied the score in the seventh and compiled four more hits in the eighth inning to seal its 5-4 victory.

Riedler took the loss, giving up 12 hits and walking just one batter. The Cyclones fall to an overall record of 15-23 and 1-13 in Big 12 conference play, while Oklahoma jumps to 51-15 overall and 14-3 in the Big 12.

ISU hosts Northern Iowa in its final home doubleheader on April 29 at 2:30 p.m.