THIS WEEKEND IN PEACOCK SOFTBALL
 
Upper Iowa (3-1) heads to the NSIC/MIAA Crossover Tournament in Rochester, Minn. for four games against a trio of opponents, including two they have already seen this season. Upper Iowa started the weekend the same way they started the 8-State Classic with a meeting with Pitt State. UIU defeated the Gorillas 10-0 in the season opener. The Peacocks will have two chances at redemption against Northwest Missouri State, who handed UIU its lone loss of the year at the 8-State Classic. Finally, Upper Iowa will face the Ichabods of Washburn sandwiched between their meetings with the Bearcats.

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KEY NOTES TO CONSIDER
 
1       NSIC AWARD SWEEP: The Peacocks took home both of the Northern Sun weekly softball awards as Tara Duran was named Player of the Week and Brooke Redmond was honored as Pitcher of the Week. Duran started all four games for UIU at catcher, where she finished the weekend with a conference-leading .556 (5-9) batting average. Two of those team-high five hits went for doubles and Duran added three runs scored and a team-leading four RBI. Redmond went 2-0 in her two starts with a 1.40 ERA in a pair of complete games in the circle. The Basehor, Kan. native had 19 strike outs in just 15 innings of work, while holding opponents to a .135 batting average.
 
2       HISTORIC START:  Upper Iowa's 3-1 start is the best start in Head Coach Amanda Bradberry's three-year tenure as coach and the best UIU softball start in the last 5 years, including the 2013 season when Upper Iowa went 28-16.
 
3       HOME RUN RECORD: UIU has a pair of Peacocks looking to break the Upper Iowa career home run record. Erica Kirgan is currently tied for the most in school history with 24, while Jacqueline Flood is just three behind her at 21 career bombs. The record was set at 24 by UIU Athletic Hall of Famer Chyanne Kleve.

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ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
 
vs. PITT STATE: The Gorillas are 7-2 so far this season, with one of their two losses coming to Upper Iowa, 10-0, at the 8-State Classic in Bentonville, Ark. PSU played at the Southeastern Oklahoma Classic prior to the UAM tournament.
 
vs. NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE: The Bearcats are 4-0 overall and one of those wins gave UIU its lone loss of the season. 
 
vs. WASHBURN: The Ichabods are 2-3 to start the year and won their last two games at the Sailfish Showdown in West Palm Beach, Fla.