Riley Kruel earned four hits, two RBIs and scored three runs in her first collegiate day of her career. Kruel stepped to the plate seven times in a double-dip with Grand View collecting a .571 batting average, a .667 slugging percentage and a .571 on-base percentage. Her strong play in game two led UIU to a split as the Peacocks earned an 11-4 victory over the Vikings after falling 6-3 in game one. Kruel added a perfect fielding percentage from her centerfield spot adding three putouts to her stat line.
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In their season debut, the 2014 Peacock softball team looked sharp through six innings in game one and for the majority of the second of two matchups with Grand View College this past Saturday night. Upper Iowa scored twice in the first inning of game one and added another run in the fourth, but despite the Peacocks' 3-1 lead, GVC mounted a comeback in the seventh inning to swipe victory from the Peacocks’ grasp. The Vikings scored five runs in the top of the seventh and escaped with a 6-3 victory inside the RCTC Dome in Rochester, Minnesota. In game two, it looked as if Grand View would continue its strong play thanks to their early momentum, but UIU responded quickly and forcefully. After falling behind by three runs in the first, the Peacocks quickly took the lead in the fourth and never looked back. UIU earned RBI rips from Riley Kruel, Cheyenne Burnett, Adrienna Olson, Shelby Crist and Erica Kirgan as the Peacocks blew past the Vikings in game two, 11-4. The Peacocks will continue their non-conference schedule this weekend as the team heads south to Bentonville, Arkansas to take part in the Arkansas-Bentonville Division-II Softball Classic. UIU will face Pittsburgh State and Missouri Western State on Friday before facing Quincy University and the University of Arkansas at Bentonville on Saturday. The Peacocks will wrap up the weekend against Ouachita Baptist and Southern Nazarene on Sunday.
