The Cyclones opened with a rough start in the Michele Smith Spring Break Tournament. The ISU softball team dropped the first two games of a five game stretch, losing to both Boston and South Florida.

In their first match against Boston, the Cyclones couldn’t quite get over the hump, losing a close game 4-3. They couldn’t seem to make the right plays, although they out hit Boston 8 to 7. The Cyclones also stranded five runners on base.

The ISU offense was clicking early when Rachel Hartman drove in Brittany Gomez in the first to give the Cyclones a 1-0 lead. That would quickly evaporate when Boston’s Brittany Younan scored on a passed ball, tying the game in the first.

After a scoreless second, the Terriers would strike again. Emma Wong ripped an RBI single down the left field line that scored Moriah Connolly and gave Boston a 2-1 lead. The Cyclones showed some life in the fifth, scoring two runs via a Lexi Slater RBI single and a Hartman double, which gave the Cyclones a 3-2 lead.

Boston responded quickly with two runs of its own in the bottom of the inning. Both Younan and Wong would hit RBI singles, with the Wong single serving as the deciding run that gave Boston a 4-3 lead.

ISU pitcher Katie Johnson took the loss, dropping her record to 7-5. Johnson allowed all three earned runs and failed to record a strikeout. Stacy Roggentien relieved  Johnson in the fifth, but only after the winning run was aboard.

The Cyclones offense sputtered in the second game against South Florida, hitting for a combined 2-for-23 in the game. South Florida struck quickly then used its pitching to control the game.

The Bulls came into the game red-hot, riding a 13-game winning streak. That streak continued, as they scored the only two runs of the game in the first inning. Lee Ann Spivey opened the scoring with a single down the third base line, scoring Kristen Wyckoff.

D’Anna Devine was brought in on a Monica Santos sacrifice bunt later in the inning to give South Florida  a 2-0 lead, which would prove to be enough.

The ISU offense was stifled by great pitching, as with USF pitchers Erica Nunn and Karla Claudio combined for a two hit shutout. ISU pitcher Brianna Weilbacher pitched a complete game, but couldn’t get the run support she needed.

The Cyclones will try to bounce back tomorrow, with a double-header against St. Joseph’s at 8:00 a.m. and Massachusetts at 10:15 a.m. The tournament will move to its secondary location in Clearwater, Fla., for the remainder of the games.