The Peacock softball team made it five wins in-a-row and completed the weekend sweep with a pair of wins over the Beavers of Bemidji State on Saturday. Upper Iowa started the day with a 3-1 come-from-behind win to take game one, then won game two 4-2, but led 4-0 heading into the top of the seventh. The wins improved the Peacocks record to 19-9 overall and 5-1 to start conference play. Bemidji State fell to 18-8 and 1-2 in the NSIC.
 
UIU was outhit on the day, 13-8, but it was Peacock pitching that was king. Seniors Jacqueline Flood and Brooke Redmond each threw complete games, combining to allow just three runs on 13 hits, while the duo struck out 14 and walked five.
 
Flood and junior Tara Walls each picked up two hits on the day to lead Upper Iowa at the plate, including a home run for both.
 
UIU finishes an eight-game homestand on Tuesday when the Peacocks host the Augustana Vikings at the Eischeid Softball Complex. The doubleheader is scheduled to start at 2 p.m.
 
Game 1: Upper Iowa 3, Bemidji State 1
 
The Peacocks were forced to work out of multiple jams on their way to victory in game one against the Beavers. In three different innings, BSU loaded the bases, but Flood was able to hold them to one run despite reaching base on nine hits and three walks.
 
In the third inning, Bemidji State had three hits, all singles, but they also had three strike outs as Flood struck out Lyndsey Peterson with the bases loaded to keep them off the board.
 
In the top of the sixth, the Beavers finally broke the scoreless tie. BSU loaded the bases with two outs and came through with an RBI single to center. Flood, however, induced a fly ball to center to end the inning and strand three base runners.
 
In the bottom half of the inning, Upper Iowa came through with some big hits of its own. After a strike out to start the inning, freshman Sami Kay Shafranski reached on an infield single and brought Flood to the plate. The Mt. Vernon, Illinois native came up clutch with a two-strike bomb to deep right center that gave UIU the lead, 2-1. Two batters later, Walls took a ball deep over the left field wall, adding an insurance run to put the Peacocks up 3-1.
 
The Beavers again loaded the bases in the top of the seventh, but Flood and the UIU defense worked out of the jam and got the final BSU batter to ground out to the shortstop to end the game.
 
Flood (8-5) finished with a final line of seven innings pitched, allowed just one run on nine hits, while she struck out nine and walked three.
 
Game 2: Upper Iowa 4, Bemidji State 2
 
At the outset, it appeared that game two would be a repeat of game one. Both teams were scoreless through the first three innings, but it was Upper Iowa who broke through first.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, Walls led off the inning with a single. Senior Lauren Marlinghaus laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Walls to second and two batters later, junior Katie Sammons hit a two-out double and brought home Walls for the first run of the game.  The next batter, sophomore Sammy Garrett, reached on a Beaver error and Sammons moved to third. Garrett stole second, setting up junior Riley Kruel for an interesting play where UIU scored two runs on a bunt.
 
With two outs, Kruel caught the Beavers defense back and laid down a bunt down the third base line. Sammons ran home, avoiding the tag from the BSU catcher to score, Garrett moved up to third, while Kruel reached first safely and made a turn for second. The Bemidji State catcher saw Kruel going for second and threw to the second baseman, which allowed Garrett to come home from third and score, while Kruel made it safely to second.
 
The Peacocks added another run the next inning when Flood led off with a walk and Marlinghaus had a clutch two-out RBI single to put Upper Iowa up 4-0 after five innings.
 
The Beavers made a valiant effort in the top of the seventh as Lyndsey Peterson led off the inning with a solo home run. The next hitter reached on a single up the middle, but Redmond was able to get BSU shortstop Brooke Phillips to ground into an important 4-6-3 double play as the next Beaver hitter hit another solo home run. Redmond, however, was able to get the next hitter to ground out to end the game.
 
The left-handed pitcher from Basehor, Kansas threw all seven innings for UIU, allowed two runs on four hits and struck out five while walking two.