For the second consecutive day, the Upper Iowa Peacock softball team suffered a walk-off loss in the second game of a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader as UIU was swept by the Mustangs of Southwest Minnesota State in Marshall, Minn. on Monday afternoon, 4-1 and 2-1.  Monday’s action was a result of this weekend’s contests being moved back a day due to a low pressure weather system that dumped a few inches of snow in southern Minnesota on Saturday.

The home team struck first in the bottom of the third inning, but the Peacocks rallied in the top half of the next inning to tie things up at 1-1.  With Chelsey Sechrest standing on second base, shortstop Erin Bennek singled through the left side to score the speedy Sechrest and pull UIU back even with the Mustangs.

Upper Iowa’s momentum would be short lived though when Southwest Minnesota State scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth to retake the lead and give the Mustangs a 5-1 victory.  Reliever Ashley Brown pitched well after Sarah Dec was chased with two outs in the fourth inning.  Brown tossed the final two and one-third innings, striking out three batters.

The Peacocks took a lead in game two of the doubleheader when Sechrest layed down a sacrifice bunt to score Kayla Bergman from third base and give the road squad a 1-0 lead.  Like in game one though, SMSU tied things up in the bottom of the third inning with a home run to make the score 1-1.

Upper Iowa and Southwest Minnesota State combined for three hits until the bottom of the seventh inning when a bunt single, with runners on second and third, scored the game winning run for the Mustangs.  With the run, SMSU sealed the sweep of the Peacocks, 2-1.

Brooklyn Koranda gave up eight hits in 6.1 innings of work.  The Maquoketa, Iowa-native struck out three batters while walking six.

Barring anymore weather changes to Upper Iowa’s schedule, the Peacocks will return home this Wednesday to battle the Wildcats of Wayne State.  The doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Eischeid Complex in Fayette.