Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Records

Upper Iowa (12-20, 5-7 NSIC) || Northern State (9-21, 2-12 NSIC)

 Summary

After an early upset, the Upper Iowa softball team bounced back with a solid 7-1 victory over the Wolves of Northern State to salvage a split in Northern Sun Conference action on Friday afternoon in Fayette. After falling 9-4 in the first of two games, the Peacocks' got a spark from sophomore pitcher Jacqueline Flood. The right-hander gave up just one earned run and allowed just four hits en route to her third victory of the season. She also recorded four RBIs from the batter's box as UIU converted 11 hits into seven runs. The Peacocks will have a quick turnaround as they will play their fifth and sixth games in just the past three days tomorrow as the team hosts MSU Moorhead at noon.
 Game One Recap - UIU 4, NSU 9

On Friday, Head Coach Amanda Bradberry switched up the pitching order on Friday looking for a response from her defense. The move didn't pay off right away, but at the end of the day, it worked for two of her three pitchers. Brooke Redmond made the start in game one - her first conference start of the season as the number one pitcher - but the Wolves were hungry for runs early on. NSU racked up four runs in just two innings before Bradberry called upon Brooklyn Koranda. The move helped as Koranda stranded the final two runners in the second and got out of the inning, but the visitors were still able to record a two-run third inning before adding another score in the fourth.

As Koranda settled in and got some run support in the fourth, the Peacocks inched their way back into the game. Erica Kirgan began a three-run inning with a solo home run to left-center. The jack was her eighth bomb this year, which leads all Peacocks. After the Wolves recorded the second out of the third inning, Shelby Crist kept the inning alive with a single. Bradberry then called upon pinch-hitter Kayla Bergman who delivered a triple to right-center - the first three-bagger of her the Sumner, Iowa native's career. Whitney Williams then brought Bergman home with a single to right to make it a 7-3 ballgame.

The offensive spurt fueled the UIU defense as it held NSU scoreless in the bottom of the fifth, but the home team couldn't complete the comeback. NSU added two runs in the sixth to ensure a commanding lead heading into the seventh. Despite adding one final run, UIU couldn't muster a miracle as the team fell 9-4 to their guests. The upset victory for the Wolves broke NSU's 11-game losing streak and push the visitors out to a 2-11 start in the NSIC this season.

Koranda pitched 5.2 innings and racked up a career-high six strikeouts, while allowing five earned runs off six hits.
 Game Two Recap - UIU 7, NSU 1

Game two was a completely different story and the Peacocks looked like a brand new team. It began with the defense and Jacqueline Flood's near-flawless outing from the rubber. UIU's sophomore right-hander retired 13 of the first 15 batters she faced. NSU was blanked on the scoreboard until the seventh inning, while the Peacocks also found their groove on offense, again, thanks to Flood.

The Mt. Vernon, Illinois native was impressive from the rubber, but she was even better from the batter's box. She racked up four RBIs, including a two-out, two-run bomb in the third inning. After NSU recorded back-to-back outs, Riley Kruel singled to left. She didn't have to go far before Flood brought her home with her third jack of the season - a long-ball over the right-field wall.

After two scoreless innings from both teams, Upper Iowa's bats exploded in the fifth. Kruel began this run as well, thanks to a single up the middle and a stolen base. Flood was up next and she drew a 9-pitch walk. The runners then each took a bag as Kirgan flied-out to center, but the throw to third was off-target and Kruel took advantage of it. She rounded the corner at third and slide safely at home. Back-to-back doubles then helped the Peacocks add to their lead. Laruen Marlinghaus picked up the first, while Crist added the second.

Flood now had a 5-0 lead to work with and posted another scoreless inning in the sixth as she retired three straight batters.

NSU was in need of a comeback, but UIU wasn't going to make it easy. The Peacocks earned a double from Cheyenne Burnett before Tara Duran was hit by a pitch. Again, Flood came through in the clutch. With two outs and runners on first and second, Flood roped a single down the right-field line, which brought both runners home to give the home team a 7-0 lead.

With just three outs to go, Flood could smell her first shutout of the season, but one pitch got away from her. Lindsey Hubler connected on a solo home run to lead-off the seventh inning, before the UIU defense clamped down. In all, Flood pitched six scoreless innings and went the distance to earn her third complete game of the year. She allowed just four hits and posted one strikeout - the final out of the contest.

The 7-1 victory for UIU pushes the Peacocks closer to .500 in NSIC play with their 5-7 mark.
 Up Next

Upper Iowa will host MSU Moorhead tomorrow (Saturday) at noon inside the Eischeid Softball Complex. The quick turnaround means UIU is scheduled to play six times in three days. The Dragons were swept by Winona State on Friday.