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Game Two Recap | UIU – 4, UMD – 2 | Box Score

Upper Iowa didn't hold anything back on Thursday night. The Bulldogs held tight through the first inning, but the Peacocks struck the scoreboard first and didn't stop until they had a 4-0 lead. 

After earning an RBI in game one against Minot State, Riley Kruel continued her strong day as she led-off the top of the second with a single through the right side. Erica Kirgan followed that up with a fielder's choice, but an error by the Bulldogs' second-baseman helped Kruel reach second base safely. With runners on first and second, Lauren Marlinghaus stepped to the plate and ripped a line-drive single to left field. Kruel raced around third base and home to put the Peacocks up, 1-0. After a sac-bunt from Casey Musgrave, the Peacocks added run number two. Whitney Williams grounded out to second base, but it gave Kirgan just enough time to score from third to make it a 2-0 game.
 
An inning later, the Peacocks went back to work as the bats came alive again. With one out and a runner on first, Katie Sammons came through for UIU with a single back to the pitcher. A groundout helped the runners advance to second and third before Adrienna Olson stepped into the batter's box. After taking a first-pitch strike, Olson rocketed a double to left field for a two-run double. Both Williams and Sammons scored on the two-bag rip from the senior second-baseman as the Peacocks took a 4-0 lead.
 
The four-run lead was all the Peacock defense needed to wrap up the win, but that doesn't mean the Bulldogs laid down quietly. UMD cut the UIU lead in half with back-to-back RBIs in the bottom of the fifth. Up to that point, the designated home team had just one hit off UIU's starting pitcher Brooke Redmond. Yet, the bats came alive as the Bulldogs used five hits to score a pair of runs. Kylie Pewe earned the first RBI on a single up the middle. Hailey Lundquist earned the second as she delivered a double to centerfield.
 
Redmond gave up one more single before ending the threat with a pair of strikeouts. UMD never threatened again as the Peacocks clinched the 4-2 victory with two more scoreless innings from the defense. Redmond earned the victory from the rubber – her 15th win of the season, which is a career-high for the sophomore. Those 15 wins also ties her for most in school history with Angie Webber.
 
With the win, the Peacocks advance to the next round of elimination games. The Peacocks will face Winona State at 10 a.m. on Friday at Sherman Park in Sioux Falls, S.D. on Field B.
 

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Game One Recap | UIU – 2, Minot State – 6 | Box Score
 

As was the case all game long, Upper Iowa threatened early and often, but the Peacocks struggled to get runners across the dish. In the top of the first, UIU loaded the bases with two outs, but Minot State's defense shut down the threat with an unassisted out at third base. Luckily, the Peacock defense was top-notch.

Starting pitcher Jacqueline Flood didn't allow a Beaver hit until the bottom of the third inning. With the held of her defense, the sophomore allowed just two runners on the bags in the first two innings, while racking up two Ks. Yet, as time rolled on, the Beavers grew accustomed to the pitching and laid wood to yellow leather. Minot's first baseman Melissa Bell was the first to earn a hit off Flood, but she made it count. Her homer to lead-off the inning gave the Beavers a 1-0 lead. 

The Peacocks bounced back in the top of the fifth inning. Shelby Crist led-off with a walk before stealing second. Adrienna Olson followed that up with a single right back to the pitcher. Katie Mnichowicz then loaded the bases as she reached on an error by the Beavers' shortstop. With no outs and the bases loaded, freshman Riley Kruel stepped to the plate. She saw five pitches, but on the 2-2 delivery, she drove a hard liner to third base and beat-out the throw to first. The hussle later paid off, but the hit drove home a run as the Peacocks tied the game, 1-1. 

Still with no outs in the inning, Flood stepped to the plate and reached on a fielder's choice as the bases remained full. Erica Kirgan followed suit, but advanced on a throwing error by the first-baseman. That error allowed Upper Iowa to take the lead, 2-1, as Kruel advanced to third on the hit and scored on the overthrow. Despite stranding the final two runners of the inning, UIU still held the lead heading to the bottom of the fifth. 

It didn't last very long.

The Beavers earned back-to-back singles before loading the bases and tying the game on a fielder's choice from Bell. After another single, Ali Cygan busted the game wide open with a grand slam to left-center. The Peacocks managed to strand three more base runners after the four-run bomb, but Minot State still held a commanding 6-2 lead. 

UIU earned a hit and three base-runners in the final two innings, but couldn't muster a comeback and dropped the decision, 6-2. The loss snaps a five-game win streak for the Peacocks, but the season isn't over yet. UIU will look to stay alive in the elimination bracket as they play game two today at 4 p.m.