Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 After a sluggish start on Monday afternoon, the Upper Iowa Peacocks lit up the Dragons of Minnesota State University, Moorhead inside the Eischeid Softball Complex. Playing from behind for most of game one, the Peacocks took their only lead of the game after going to extra innings. In the eighth, Katie Mnichowicz cleared the bases on a two-run double to give her team its first lead of the game. UIU added an insurance run before the end of the inning to secure the 7-4 victory. Game two took much less time as the Peacocks jumped on MSUM thanks to a Rachael Anello grand slam in the fifth inning. The senior’s fourth homer of the year propelled UIU to the decisive 12-3 victory after five innings.

“We didn’t come out as sharp as I would have liked,” Head Coach Anna Van Wetzinga said. “Moorhead took advantage of that, but I was happy that we stayed with it. We battled hard for the win and it was a good team effort with lots of different people stepping up.”

The Peacocks, who have now won their last three games in a row, are one more win away from tying their longest win streak of the season. After the sweep of MSUM the Peacocks hold down tenth place in the conference with an 18-12 overall record and a 5-5 mark in the NSIC. UIU will continue play at home tomorrow as Concordia University, St. Paul heads to Fayette for a twin bill starting at 2 p.m.

Game One Recap

In game one, the Peacocks fell behind early as the Dragons notched three runs in the bottom of the first inning. UIU responded in the top of the second with back-to-back RBI-singles up the middle from Bailee Haberman and Tara Duran.
Senior first-baseman Rachael Anello then tied the game in the next inning with a solo shot over the right field wall – her third home run of the season.

The tie didn’t last long though, as the Dragons responded in the bottom of third inning with a RBI-double from Taylor Huss to take a 4-3 lead

Trailing again, this time in the top of the fifth inning, the Peacocks turned to the middle of their lineup. Freshman slugger Lauren Marlinghaus responded admirably. She hammered the second pitch she saw into the trees behind the left field wall for her third home run of the season.

With the game tied at 4-4, the Peacocks turned to their defense. Jacqueline Flood, who got the starting nod in the pitching circle in game one, retired eight straight batters from the bottom of the third to the bottom of the fifth inning, before Brooke Redmond entered in relief. In all, Flood went 5.2 innings, allowed two earned runs, while giving up only two walks and striking out three Dragons.

Neither team could earn a lead as the game went to extra innings. In the top of the eighth, Jenna Hermsen pinch hit and earned a walk before Whitney Williams moved her into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt – a play in which she reached first after beating the throw.

Two batters later and now with two runners on, Kaite Mnichowicz roped a double to left center field that scored both Hermsen and Williams. The sophomore’s bases-clearing knock gave the Peacocks a 6-4 lead, but UIU wasn’t finished.

Marlinghaus added another RBI to her stat line as she singled to right centerfield and brought Mnichowicz past home plate. The 7-4 lead was enough for Redmond to seal the victory from the pitching circle.

Redmond was solid in relief, getting out of a jam and stranding two runners in the sixth inning, while not allowing a single run in 2.1 innings. The freshman southpaw also racked up five strikeouts to earn her ninth victory of the season.

Game Two Recap

With momentum at their backs, the Peacocks wasted no time getting on the board in game two. Katie Mnichowicz drove home Rachael Anello with a single to right, before Jacqueline Flood connected on a two-run homer.

“We came out the way we wanted to,” Van Wetzinga added. “We strung together hard hits, which is something we struggled to do in game one.”

The Dragons bounced back with a home run of their own in the bottom of the first as Moriah Burns sent a pitch over the right field wall.

Adding to an already impressive day, Mnichowicz was walked with the bases loaded in the top of the second inning to earn her fourth RBI of the day and 18th run batted in this season. Kayla Bergman scored from third base on the play. Just moments later, the Dragons made another mistake as a wild pitch brought Whitney Williams home and cost MSUM another run.

With a 5-1 lead, the Peacocks’ defense clamped down and held MSUM scoreless for three straight innings. From the rubber, Brooklyn Koranda was solid giving up only one earned run and striking out four batters through five innings.

The offense also gave their pitcher a little extra breathing room scoring seven runs in just two innings. In the fourth, Hailley Haning connected on a two-run RBI-double and Marlinghaus brought her home with a sacrifice fly. Then in the fifth and with the bases loaded again, Rachael Anello stepped to the plate and it was like déjà vu all over again for the Dragons.

Anello homered over the centerfield wall and this time, emptied the bases to give UIU a 12-1 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth.

“I was happy because we were never satisfied with any sort of lead today,” Van Wetzinga said. “Our offense kept providing the run support and Brooklyn Koranda did a very nice job on the mound, not letting the Dragons get any rallies going.”

The Dragons scored two runs in a last gasp attempt at a comeback, but it was too little, too late as the Peacocks earned the victory, 12-3, and secured the sweep.

In all, the Peacocks had 26 combined hits including a team-high six from Flood, who reached base after all eight of her at-bats. Anello, who now has nine RBI over her last five games, was just behind Flood with four hits and total of five runs batted in.