The Iowa State softball team is having problems early in the season getting its offense off the ground.

Scoring a combined total of seven runs in five games, the Cyclones dropped four out of their five games games over the weekend at the Second Annual UCSB Dudley Invitational Tournament before collecting their first win of the season against Akron.

That win brought the team’s record to 1-4.

ISU lost to UC Santa Barbara twice by by identical scores of 5-1 and also fell to Long Beach State by scores of 4-1 and 7-1.

The lone Cyclone victory came against Akron by a score of 2-1.

In the first game against UC Santa Barbara, the Cyclones could muster only four hits in the loss.

Cyclones senior Debbie Nease singled and scored the lone ISU run while teammate Jaime Kahler collected a base hit. Freshman Jessica Polo had the other two ISU hits.

The second game against US Santa Barbara was much of the same for ISU.

The Cyclones could only manage two hits, both from Polo. Freshman Robin Riedler had ISU’s only RBI in the 5-1 loss.

Against Long Beach State the offensive struggle continued in the 4-1 loss as the Cyclones received their four hits from: Nease, who singled, sophomore Erin Woods, who collected two hits while scoring a run and sophomore Raven Coberg.

When the ISU offense did come to life in the second game with Long Beach, runs were still hard to come by. The Cyclones pounded out eight hits in the 7-2 loss. Sophomore Mindy Penrod collected an RBI for ISU, as did junior teammate Missy Danilson. Riedler and senior Brenna Miller each contributed with two hits.

Things finally turned around for ISU against Akron. Despite collecting only two runs and five hits, the Cyclones’ defense held Akron to one run on six hits.

Nease got the win on the mound, striking out five batters while walking none.