Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

Jenna Hermsen earned her first collegiate victory today for the Peacock softball team.  The freshman threw six strong innings holding the #9 team in the latest NCAA Central Regional Poll to just four hits and no runs while striking out four batters. 

While Hermsen was holding a potent Wildcat lineup at bay, Rachael Anello delivered the only run of the game on a solo blast to left centerfield with two outs in the sixth inning.  Following the score, Hermsen and the Peacock defense recorded a quick 1-2-3 inning to hold the lead.

Upper Iowa threatened to add some insurance in the seventh loading the bases with one out, but the Wildcats stepped up with a double play to end the inning.

After a double to open the bottom of the seventh, the Peacocks turned to Kylee Knop to shut the door and pick up her first save of the season.  The senior did just that striking out the final two batters of the game with the tying run standing at third.

In the second game, Upper Iowa slowly moved out to a 3-0 lead thanks to single runs in the second, third and fourth innings.  The runs came on a Missy Olson single to right, a sacrifice fly off the bat of Hailley Haning and a miscue by the Wildcat defense.

Wayne State got a run on the board with a two out homer in the fourth inning, but Upper Iowa got the run back with another score in the top of the fifth.  Anello singled in Haning, who doubled to open the inning.

The wheels fell off in the bottom of the fifth for UIU though.  The Wildcats scored four runs on three hits and an error that came on the inning's first at bat.  Three of the runs scored with two outs and gave the home team their first lead of the day, 5-4. 

WSC added one more run in the sixth and held UIU scoreless in the seventh to earn the split.

Knop suffered the loss after 4.2 innings; she allowed five runs, four of which were earned, on five hits while recording five strikeouts.

Four Peacocks registered multiple hits in the second game including Anello and Bailee Haberman with three and Olson and Haning with two each.

After the day's decisions, Upper Iowa is now 15-28 overall and 7-9 in the NSIC.

Upper Iowa will come back to Fayette, but not for long as the team will head to the Dakotas this weekend for a pair of NSIC double headers against the Marauders of the University of Mary and the Wolves of Northern State University on Friday and Saturday, Apr. 14-15.