The Upper Iowa softball team held their ground in the Northern Sun Conference standings by managing a split with the Sioux Falls Cougars on Saturday. The Peacocks (21-28, 16-12 NSIC) came into the game just one game ahead of USF (29-19, 15-13 NSIC) and it will remain that way as both teams head to their season finale's tomorrow. Upper Iowa took game one, 3-2, behind timely hitting and a great pitching performance by Jacqueline Flood, then dropped game two, 4-1, being held to just four hits.

The Peacocks finish the regular season Sunday with a home doubleheader against Southwest Minnesota State. Seniors Shelby Crist, Katie Mnichowicz and Whitney Williams will be honored on their Senior Day. The first game will start at noon.

Game 1: UIU 3, USF 2
The Cougars got the first run of the game in the top of the third, albeit in a little bit of a controversial way. With a runner on second and one out, USF hit a grounder to shortstop Katie Mnichowicz. While the Peacock shortstop was moving to field the ball, she was run into by the runner, but still made the play. Earlier in the game, when Mnichowicz was on second, she attempted to move to third, ran into the Cougar shortstop and was called out on the play for interference.
 
The Peacocks came back to score a pair in the bottom of the third. Sammy Garrett led things off with a triple, then came home on a Shelby Crist single. Crist moved to second on sacrifice bunt from Whitney Williams then scored on a two-out single by Jacqueline Flood, giving UIU the 2-1 lead. 
 
USF tied it in the fourth when a Cougar runner was able to score all the way from second on a Peacock error, evening the game at 2-2.
 
Two singles to lead off the fifth inning for the Peacocks would prove to be the difference as Garrett, who reached on a bunt single then moved to second on a Crist single, scored on a Mnichowicz ground out to take back the lead for good, 3-2.
 
Flood (12-12) closed the door on the Cougars over the last three innings, throwing a complete game, allowing just five hits and two runs, one earned. She struck out five and walked two.
 
Game 2: USF 4, UIU 1
Again in game two it was the Cougars getting on the board first. In the top of the first, USF got a one-out double followed by a two-run home run against the wind to deep left center to take the early 2-0 lead.
 
In the second, Sioux Falls was threatening with runners on second and third with one out. The next USF hitter sent a fly ball to left field, where Williams made a running catch then fired home to get the Cougar runner who had tagged at third for the double play and to end the inning.
 
The Peacocks chipped away at the lead in the bottom of the fourth, scoring a run, but a great defensive play kept the game at 2-1. Mnichowicz led off the inning with a double that flew all the way to the base of the wall, the she came around to score on a single up the middle by Flood. An Erica Kirgan walk gave the Peacocks runners on first and second with no outs. Katie Sammons sacrificed the runners to second and third, but the next UIU hitter was unable to bring a runner home. Then, with two outs, Riley Kruel hit a shot that looked like it was heading for the left center field gap, but the USF shortstop Brittany Hoffman climbed the ladder and made a leaping grab to end the inning. 
 
It was the Peacocks turn to shut down a Cougar threat in the top of the fifth. Sioux Falls had runners on second and third with just one out, but Brooke Redmond was able to get out of the jam by getting the next two hitters to strike out, keeping it a one-run game, 2-1.
 
But USF got a few home in the sixth, scoring a pair of runs on four hits and a Peacock error. Sioux Falls starting the inning with a towering home run to right field, then added another run on a double that came around to score on an ensuing two-out single. The Cougars were poised to add another run, but for the second time in game two, UIU cut down a runner at the plate to end the inning.

Cougar pitcher Breanna Black, who took the complete game loss in game one, had her stuff working in game two and shut Upper Iowa down in the final few innings to hold on to the 4-1 win. Brooke Redmond threw a complete game for the Peacocks, allowing ten hits and four runs while striking out four.