Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
The Peacock softball team lost a pair of games to the Beavers of Minot State University Sunday afternoon in Fayette. The games served as a preview of a future Northern Sun Conference match up as MSU is scheduled to join the NSIC next season. The Beavers tied game one, 1-1, with two outs in the seventh and then won in extra innings, 2-1. In game two, a three-run fifth inning proved to be the difference and separated the visitors from their hosts. With the losses, UIU drops to 11-24 on the year.
Game One Recap
The Peacocks scored a run in the first inning when
Whitney Williams legged out a triple with one out and came home on a wild pitch. In the fourth inning, the Peacocks threatened to add to their lead with runners on the corners and one out, but the Beavers recorded the second out in a rundown on the third base line and the final out at home to squash the opportunity.
The Beavers used the momentum of their defensive stand to attempt a rally. Back-to-back singles opened the inning for Minot State, but
Kylee Knop got a strikeout and then induced two pop-ups to end the threat.
Trailing 1-0 in the seventh, Minot opened the inning with a double to the wall in left center.
Hailley Haning made a great catch in shallow centerfield and Knop grabbed an infield fly for the second out. Kyla Thiesen singled to left field and Maribel Casillas just beat the tag at the plate to tie the game.
With two outs in the ninth, Knop came two feet shy of ending the game with a homerun to the fence in left center settling for a long double. The Peacocks stranded the runner on second and the game continued into the tenth inning.
A leadoff walk came around to score in the top of the tenth on a single through the infield by Deanna Mitchell giving the Beavers a 2-1 lead.
UIU got their leadoff runner on base, but couldn’t push the tying run across the plate losing the contest, 2-1.
Knop suffered the loss after throwing 9.2 innings and allowing the two runs on nine hits while striking out seven. Mandy Greenberg stymied the Peacock bats pitching the complete game and allowing one run on 7 hits while fanning 11 UIU batters.
Williams, Knop and Haning each had two hits accounting for six of the team’s seven hits.
Game Two Recap
The Beavers put their first two runners on base on walks in the top of the first and scored one run to take an early 1-0 lead.
Minot State loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, but Missy Olson made two big plays at third to field a pair of grounders and record the second out at home and the final out at third.
The Beavers used a double, a single and a walk to open the fifth to load the bases with no outs. Minot State picked up runs on a pair of singles and a ground out pushing their lead to 4-0.
Upper Iowa answered quickly with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Rachael Anello and
Tara Duran singled to start the inning.
Erin Van Praag plated Anello on a sac bunt and Duran came home on an rbi-ground out by Olson. The two runs cut the gap in half as the teams headed to the sixth inning.
The Peacocks would not get any closer as the Beavers added two more runs claiming a 6-2 victory.
Jenna Hermsen took the loss for UIU after throwing four innings and allowing four runs on four hits while striking out two batters.
Tara Duran recorded two hits for the Peacock offense.
Tiffany Friesen earned the victory with a complete game surrendering two runs on five hits while striking out six Peacocks.
Upper Iowa will close out their current home stand with another trio of double headers next week. UIU will host St. Cloud State University on Tuesday, Apr. 3, at 2 p.m. and then welcome Minnesota State University, Mankato on Friday, Apr. 6, and Southwest Minnesota State University on Saturday, Apr. 7. The first pitch for both games is slated for 1 p.m.
