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ROCHESTER, MN – After posting record numbers in Division II play and earning 10 more victories than they did in 2012, the Upper Iowa Peacocks’ magical 2013 season came to an abrupt halt on Friday afternoon. Playing the Wayne State Wildcats for the third time this season, but for the first time in the NSIC Tournament, the Peacocks struggled to produce on both sides of the ball. The Wildcats earned the 6-3 victory inside the RCTC Dome, keeping their playoff hopes alive, but ending Upper Iowa’s.  

"I'm very proud of what this team accomplished this year," Head Coach Anna Van Wetzinga said. "We out-performed a lot of people's expectations and hopefully the younger players on the team start to expect to have seasons like this. They should expect to be in the playoffs every year."
 
UIU finished the year with a 28-16 overall record including a 15-7 mark in NSIC play – both record numbers in the Peacocks’ Division II history. Yet despite the record-book rewrite, the Peacocks remain haunted by early departures in the playoffs, as UIU is now 1-6 all-time in the NSIC Tournament.
 
The Peacocks committed a total of five errors against WSC, the first of which led directly to the Wildcats’ first run. WSC’s Lexie Loos led off the game with a double and crossed home plate after the Peacocks’ defense broke down on a routine fielder’s choice play. Loos put WSC on the board and already the Wildcats had matched their run total from their quarterfinal matchup with Concordia University, but WSC wasn’t finished.
 
After UIU left two runners on the bags in the bottom of the first, the Peacocks defense went back to work. UIU secured the first two outs of the second inning, but Megan Hagemann’s home run over the left field wall gave WSC a 2-0 lead. The Wildcats then added another run in the top of the fourth, again thanks to a Hagemann RBI.
 
The Peacocks, who managed two hits in the bottom of the first inning and one in the second, went ice cold from the batter’s box in crunch time. UIU went hitless from the third to the sixth inning and fell into an even bigger hole.

"We just couldn't get that key hit early in the game to answer Wayne State's early runs," Van Wetzinga said. "I thought we did a nice job defensively - not allowing the big inning early when they had opportunities and multiple runners in scoring position. Unfortunately, their pitcher kept our bats in check."
 
The Wildcats increased their lead in the top of the seventh, adding insurance runs four, five and six after loading the bases and earning two RBI-singles and a walk.
 
Down 6-0, the Peacocks needed a spark to begin what would be a big comeback - they got just that.
 
Bailee Haberman drew a walk to lead off the bottom of the seventh before Tara Duran drilled the first pitch she saw into centerfield for a base hit. Two batters later, Katie Mnichowicz reached on a fielder’s choice before Rachael Anello helped the Peacocks earn their first run of the game with an RBI-single after a nine pitch at-bat.
 
Facing two outs and a full count, Anello fouled off four pitches in a row before earning her only hit of the game, which broke through the infield into right field and allowed Duran to cross home plate. Up next was Whitney Williams, who continued the comeback thanks to a ground-rule double which brought Mnichowicz home from third.
 
Hailley Haning wasted no time adding run number three as she drilled the second pitch she saw in her at bat into right field for her first RBI of the day. Anello scored on the play, but that’s where the comeback ended. The Peacocks couldn’t sustain their run, and the Wildcats secured the final out and sealed the 6-3 victory.
 
Brooke Redmond went 3.1 innings for the Peacocks in the pitching circle giving up four hits, three total runs, but only one earned run. Despite a relief appearance from Jacqueline Flood in the fourth inning, Redmond (14-6) was charged with the loss and will now finish tied with Angie Weber for second place in school history with 14 wins in a season. Flood, who also posted double-digit wins from the rubber in 2013, pitched three innings giving up three hits, three runs and one earned run.

All but three starters will return for UIU in 2014. Rachael Anello, Bailee Haberman and Hailley Haning will graduate this spring.