The ISU softball team will try to carry some of its momentum from its previous comeback victory into an upcoming clash with rival Iowa.

The Cyclones are coming off of a rough weekend, but seemed to right the ship in the final game with a come-from-behind victory against Oklahoma State.

“There were chunks of the game that we were really down, but our pitching really helped to keep us in it until we could start hitting the ball,” said ISU coach Stacy Gemeinhardt-Cesler. 

With the offense coming back to its regularly productive ways, all eyes can be turned to the Hawkeyes. After tying last year’s game, the Cyclones want to start the streak over with a big win.

The Cyclones will have some added pressure due to the fact that this game will be the deciding factor for the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series. Iowa State is currently up 13-11 against Iowa, but the lead is not safe. Although the Cyclones cannot lose the series, the team knows a tie isn’t acceptable.

“We’ve known since the gymnastics meet that it was going to come down to us, and every game since then we’ve had our focus on Iowa,” said senior shortstop Lexi Slater.

The Hawkeyes will not be a pushover, despite a meager 14-31 record. Iowa has had one shining star in its lineup in senior infielder Megan Blank. Blank leads the Hawkeyes in every major offensive category and provides almost all of the scoring for the team.

The Cyclones will counter the UI offense with a revitalized pitching staff. They have recently struggled on the mound, but are headed in the right direction after the weekend series with Oklahoma State. Ace pitcher Katie Johnson was shelled early in two games, but senior pitcher Stacy Roggentien flourished in her appearances.

The Cyclones have yet to name a pitcher for the game against the Hawkeyes, but it seems they will go with whoever has the hot hand at the moment. This shouldn’t be cause for worry, since Johnson has been able to bounce back from several poor outings and return to a level of performance that helped her earn the top spot in the rotation to begin the season. 

With the whole state looking to see who will take home the trophy, the senior leadership of the Cyclones had something to say.

“We’re going to be focused, and we’re going to win,” Slater said.

The Cyclones will conclude the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series with their game against the Hawkeyes at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Iowa City.