Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 FAYETTE, IA – The Upper Iowa Softball team entered this weekend as one of the hottest teams in the Northern Sun Conference. On Saturday, the Peacocks wasted little time and held nothing back against the Bemidji State Beavers, lighting up their guests for 37 combined runs and 42 total hits including nine doubles and three home runs. Senior Hailley Haning helped lead the offense to victory in game one as she notched a season-high four RBIs, while the defense did its part holding BSU scoreless for four straight innings to seal the 16-2 victory through six innings.
 
The Peacocks’ offense put the hurt on once again in game two as Rachael Anello and Erica Kirgan combined for 10 runs batted in and helped the Peacocks dominate the Beavers, 21-8, securing the sweep in conference play.
 
With the victories, UIU sits at 26-14 overall and 13-7 in NSIC play, while the Beavers fall to 8-37 overall and 2-26 in conference play. The Peacocks have never lost to BSU in Division II play; UIU holds a 13-0 series record against the Beavers.
 
Game One Recap
 
The Beavers, who were the designated home team in both games, scratched the board first in game one as Crystal Bowen singled to left field and a UIU fielding error helped BSU secure a 1-0 lead.
 
The Peacocks responded in the top of the second inning with an RBI-single to centerfield from Rachael Anello. Two batters later, Hailley Haning sent another shot right up the middle which brought Anello and Katie Mnichowicz home. UIU never trailed again, but that didn’t mean the Peacocks were satisfied on offense.
 
In the fourth inning with two runners on, Anello stepped up to the plate again. This time, she drilled a pitch to right field for the RBI-double as Adrienna Olson scored. Haning then followed suit and brought her fellow senior home with an RBI-single to left field.
 
Whitney Williams ended the three-run fourth inning for UIU as she took advantage of a BSU wild pitch, scoring from third on the mistake.
 
Tara Duran got in on the action in the top of the fifth inning and extended the Peacocks' lead even more. With a runner on first, Duran homered for the second time this season over the left-center wall to put UIU up, 8-1. Duran made it a 9-1 game with a single to left in the sixth which allowed Madie Wilkin a chance to score. Erica Kirgan then pinch hit and unloaded the bases with her third home run of the season. The freshman’s jack was a three-run shot over the centerfield wall and put UIU up 14-1.
 
“I wasn't hitting the ball well coming into today,” Kirgan admitted. “It felt good to get out there and make solid contact. I was just trying to capitalize on my opportunity and the next thing I knew, it was over the fence.”
  
Haning added her fourth RBI of the game with another RBI-single before the Peacocks wrapped up the eight-run sixth inning with a Wilkin RBI-single to right field that brought Bobbi Jo Ney across the plate. 
 
The Beavers made one final push scoring a run in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a home run from Nicole Dupay, but the damage was done and the Peacocks sealed the six-inning 16-2 victory.
 
From the rubber, Brooke Redmond was awarded her 13th win of the season after going the distance and tying a season-high with six strikeouts.
 
Game Two Recap

Despite the momentum from the first contest, the Peacocks had a sluggish start in game two. Nicole Dupay picked up right where she left off for BSU though. The Beavers’ rightfielder jacked another pitch out of the park to give her team a 1-0 lead heading into the top of the second.
 
UIU bounced right back. This time it was Bailee Haberman who got things going for the Peacocks as she earned an RBI-single to left field to tie the game at 1-1. Adrienna Olson gave UIU its first lead with a sacrifice hit and the Peacocks never looked back.
 
In the third inning, Hailley Haning — who has been one of the most consistent hitters for UIU in 2013 – gave her team a 4-1 lead thanks to a two-run double to left centerfield. For Haning, it was the senior’s 13th double of the season – a team high.
 
Erica Kirgan rounded out the scoring in the third inning with a sac-fly to right field which brought Lauren Marlinghaus home from third.
 
Yet despite the 5-1 lead, the Beavers bounced back in the bottom of the third. Lyndsey  Peterson earned an RBI-single before Mikayla Osterman reached on a fielder’s choice and brought home a run to pull BSU within two runs, 5-3. Chelsey Watson then tied the game at five with an RBI-blooper to right center.
 
It didn’t take long for UIU to respond. Haning earned yet another RBI-single to help her team retake the lead in the fourth before Jacqueline Flood blew the game open with a two-run double to right centerfield. A batter later and with the bases loaded, Kirgan once again brought everyone home with a three-run double to right field. Haberman, Flood and Haning all scored on the play.
 
UIU added three more runs in the top of the fifth as Haberman notched her fourth RBI of the day with a sac-fly to left and Kirgan added two more runs with yet another double as UIU took a commanding 14-5 lead.
 
Peterson nearly brought her team back with a grand slam in the bottom of the fifth inning, but was called out and a run was taken off the board after base-runner interference.
 
None the less, the Peacocks headed to the top of the sixth with a 14-8 lead and they were looking for more.
 
Anello delivered. The senior first baseman jacked the first pitch she saw in the seventh inning over the right field wall for her own grand slam. Flood, Haberman and Olson were all brought home from Anello’s fifth jack of the year.
 
“I noticed she had been trying to get ahead of hitters all game long,” Anello said. “I was just trying to be aggressive and good things happened.”
 
Lauren Marlinghaus added runs 19 and 20 with a double to right center, while Haberman added the final run with her fifth RBI of the day on a single to left field, ultimately securing the 21-8 win. The Peacocks’ 22 hits and 21 runs in game two were both season-highs, while Kirgan set a career-high with 6 runs batted in off just three hits.
 
“Coach Van told me before the game that I would have my chances tonight because I had a good round in the cages,” Kirgan said. “So there wasn’t really any pressure on me. I just got up there and hit and it worked out for me.”
 
Anello tied for a season-high with four RBIs off four hits, while Haning led UIU with 7 total hits, followed by Haberman with six hits, five runs scored and five RBIs.
 
The Peacocks will now look ahead to their Sunday matchup with the University of Minnesota Crookston (3-36, 2-26 NSIC) at 11 a.m. inside the Eischeid Softball Complex. The Golden Eagles earned a split against Winona State on Saturday, shocking the Warriors in a 5-4 game two upset. Click here to view a preview for that game, or click here to view the game notes.
 
“We can’t take them lightly,” Anello said about UMC. “They’re going to be another scrappy team, so we just need to do what we do best and take care of business.”