Inconsistency has been the word to define the ISU softball team’s performance all year long and that was the case again during its doubleheader against Kansas on Saturday.

The two main areas that seemed to be an inconsistency for Iowa State were pitching and run scoring.

The Cyclones appeared to be clicking on all cylinders against the Jayhawks to begin the doubleheader. However, after Kansas tied the game at two in the fourth inning of the first game, Iowa State’s pitching took a turn for the worse.

After the Jayhawks tied the game, the Cyclones decided to make a pitching change. Then they changed pitchers one after another in the second game.

Overall, Iowa State amounted five pitching changes in the doubleheader. The ISU pitching squad allowed 18 hits and 18 runs in the two games. Though pitching was inconsistent, ISU coach Stacy Gemeinhardt-Cesler believes that wasn’t the biggest problem for the Cyclones.

“Maybe [pitching] stuck out today,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. “But we still have to do a better job with scoring runs because scoring two runs won’t help you beat a good team.”

Scoring runs this year has also been an inconsistency for Iowa State. In the first game of the two-game set, the Cyclones had nine hits more than the Jayhawks, which only translated to two runs. In the last game of the doubleheader, the Cyclones only gained three hits, which translated to zero runs.

“When we get ourselves in scoring position, we have to make sure we can score,” said junior outfielder Brittany Gomez. “Because if you don’t, you get these types of results.”

Unlike the Cyclones, the Jayhawks pounced on the opportunities when they were presented. 

“They [Kansas] did a really good job with the opportunities they had,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. “They just came through with those opportunities.”

With the two losses against Kansas, Iowa State ended the season with a 26-28 overall record and a 3-15 record in the Big 12.

This year’s senior class finished with an overall record of 84-132-1 and a Big 12 conference record of 11-67.

“Today’s games don’t define what the seniors’ legacy is,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said.

Gemeinhardt-Cesler and the Cyclones will return to the diamond next fall to kick off their 2015 season.