Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Records Upper Iowa (11-17, 4-4 NSIC) || Minot State (21-9, 8-4)
Summary An early lead in game one and solid pitching led the Upper Iowa softball team to a 5-3 victory over Minot State in North Dakota on Sunday morning.
Jacqueline Flood had her best performance from the circle since Mar. 19 as she gave up just four hits and three runs to a potent Beaver offense. However, the Peacocks couldn't pull off the sweep. The Beavers stormed back in the second game and UIU couldn't find an answer for Mindy Lorimor – the Beavers' right-hander who threw a three-hit shutout. Her performance helped the Beavers earn the 4-0 victory. For the Peacocks, the split is the fourth in a row as UIU opens NSIC play this season, but three of those four splits have come against top-10 competition.
Game One Recap | UIU – 5, Minot – 3 One day after sweeping the 19th-ranked Warriors of Winona State, Upper Iowa gave Minot State all they could handle. From the get-go, the Peacocks came out swinging. Upper Iowa scored three runs in the first inning thanks to a manufactured run and a two-run bomb from
Lauren Marlinghaus. UIU played small ball to lead-off the inning as
Riley Kruel drew a walk, advanced on a single and then scored on a sac-hit from
Erica Kirgan. Then Marlinghaus stepped to the plate and hammered one over the fence. With a runner on third, UIU's sophomore third-baseman pulled a pitch over the left-field wall to push the visitors out in front by three.
The Beavers answered with a home run of their own in the bottom of the inning, but the Peacocks were still in good shape. That 3-1 lead held until UIU took the field in the bottom of the third. Minot State's Melissa Bell tied it up at 3-all with her second jack of the game. Despite giving up those two home runs, the Peacocks' starting pitcher
Jacqueline Flood had allowed just three hits through three innings. As she got more comfortable, the Beavers' hitters started to choke. Flood allowed just one hit after Bell's second home run and her offense did the rest.
The Peacocks added the go-ahead run in the top of the sixth thanks to another hit from Marlinghaus. With runners on first and third, the O'Fallon, Illinois native forced a fielding error with a hard-hit ball back to the pitcher. She raced to first as
Megan Butler scored from third. The Beavers made a pitching change, but their guests weren't done yet.
After
Shelby Crist drew a walk to load the bases,
Whitney Williams was hit by a pitch. The ensuing run gave the Peacocks enough of a cushion to secure the 5-3 victory and snap two impressive Minot State win streaks. The victory broke a seven-game win streak for the Beavers and a 10-game home win streak, which dated back to the 2012 season.
Game Two Recap | Minot – 4, UIU – 0 Despite the early momentum, the Peacock offense couldn't find it's rhythm against Lorimor in game two. The South Dakota State University transfer was on fire against the Peacocks in game number two holding UIU to just three total hits. In what looked like a carry-over from Saturday's dominant performance against Winona State, the Beaver's right-hander was strong early and often and she got the run support she needed to seal the victory.
In the bottom of the first, the Beavers earned their third home run of the day. They added a pair of runs in the third and fourth before earning an insurance run in the sixth off another home run. Despite giving up just six hits and two earned runs,
Brooke Redmond took the loss from the rubber for the Peacocks. Meanwhile, Lorimor earned her 15th victory of the season as Minot wrapped up the 4-0 victory inside Herb Parker Stadium.
Up NextThe Peacocks will return home, but not for long. On Tuesday, Upper Iowa will travel north to face the Mavericks of Minnesota State in Mankato, Minnesota. This NSIC doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.
