The Upper Iowa softball team closed out their first weekend of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play Sunday afternoon by hosting a doubleheader against the Golden Eagles of UM, Crookston. The Peacocks shut the visitors out in game one of the doubleheader, 5-0, before dropping game two, 11-2 in six innings.

Freshman hurler Sarah Dec scattered six hits over seven innings to record the complete game shutout. Dec struck out four batters while walking four on her way to her second win of the 2011 season.

UIU put UM, Crookston in a deep hole early in the contest when they plated four runs in the bottom half of the first inning. Senior shortstop Erin Bennek singled to score Robin Schaefer from second base to open the scoring for the Peacocks. Then two batters later, Chelsey Sechrest doubled down the left field line to score a pair of runs. The Olney, Ill.-native then scored when Laura Tackenberg singled in the next at-bat.

Sechrest pounded a home run over the left center field fence in the sixth inning to make the final tally 5-0 in favor of the home squad.

Bennek and Sechrest had two hits each for the Peacocks in game one.

Upper Iowa's offense cooled in game two as UM, Crookston ran their lead out to 6-0 after three innings. The Peacocks scored a single run each in the fourth and fifth innings but the visitors posted five runs in the sixth inning to end the game early by a final score of 11-2.

Tackenberg and Adrienna Olson combined for four of UIU's seven hits as UM, Crookston outhit UIU, 12-7.

Brooklyn Koranda took the loss in game two for the home squad.

The Peacocks will return to NSIC action this Tuesday, April 5 when they visit St. Paul, Minn. to take on the Golden Bears of Concordia-St. Paul. The first pitch of the doubleheader is slated for 2 p.m.