April 17, 2008
Game One Box Score || Game Two Box Score
The Upper Iowa softball team was back in action Thursday as they traveled to St. Paul, Minnesota for a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference games against the Golden Bears of Concordia-St. Paul. The Peacocks split the double header with the Golden Bears, putting the UIU into a tie for fourth place in the NSIC with U-Mary at 6-5.
In the first game, offense was at a premium as both team combined for just ten hits. The battle remained scoreless into the bottom of the fifth inning when Concordia scored four runs on four hits to take a 4-0 lead.
Both teams failed to put another run across the plate and Concordia took the first game, 4-0. Sophomore Christy Loan took the loss for the Peacocks after pitching well. Loan threw a complete game giving up just four runs on five hits while striking out two batters.
The Peacock bats came alive in game two as UIU rebounded to put five runs across the plate on 16 hits. They took the game 5-4 thanks to a seventh inning rally to split the series with the Golden Bears.
Upper Iowa grabbed an early 1-0 lead when Nikki Davis singled down the left field line to bring in Danielle DeSerano. After holding Concordia to a scoreless first, the Peacocks rattled off four consecutive hits including a Jessie Gress, bases loaded-single to bring in Stephany Daubenspeck. However, the Peacocks stranded two on the base paths as they took a 2-0 lead into the third.
Concordia posted a run in the third and two more in the fifth to take control of the contest 3-2. The Peacocks tied the score at 3-3 in the top half of the sixth when Jackie Greco blasted a solo homerun to left field. However, Concordia answered back with a run in the bottom of the sixth inning retaking the lead at 4-3.
In the top of the seventh, DeSerano drove in pinch runner Julie Woolf on a two out single to the shortstop leveling the contest at 4-4. The next batter, Erin Bennek, drew a walk with the bases loaded to score Greco to retake the lead going into Concordia's final at bat. In their half of the seventh, Concordia managed a two-out double, but couldn't push the runner across the plate.
Davis picked up the complete game win allowing four runs on nine hits while fanning eight Bears. Helping her own cause, Davis went two-for-four at the plate driving in a run. Three Peacock batters went three-for-four; including Stefani Schulte, Gress and Greco. Greco scored twice in game two.
The softball team is currently on their way to Bismarck, North Dakota for the second of two NSIC Crossover weekends. The Peacocks went 4-1 in the first NSIC Crossover. Upper Iowa will take the field Saturday, Apr. 19, at 10 a.m. against Bemidji State, at 2 p.m. against Northern State, and at 4 p.m. against the host U-Mary. Sunday, Apr. 20, the Peacocks will square off against Minnesota, Crookston at 10 a.m. and MSU Moorhead at noon.
