The Peacocks split a pair of NSIC games against the Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs in Marshall, Minn. on Saturday afternoon. SMSU rallied late in game one with four runs in final three innings for a 4-3 victory; while the Peacocks controlled game two for a 4-1 win. After the day, the Peacocks are 34-14 overall and 20-6 in the Northern Sun. Southwest Minnesota State moved to 16-29 and 12-16 in the NSIC.
 
Riley Kruel and Katie Sammons had four hits each to lead UIU, while Brooke Redmond earned her 17th win of the season to pull one win ahead of teammate Jacqueline Flood for the single-season wins record.
 
The Peacocks finish the regular season with one final doubleheader on Sunday, Apr. 24, at the University of Sioux Falls. There is a lot on the line heading into the final day of the year, as UIU is vying for a top three finish in the conference. The Peacocks are currently second in the Northern Sun, two games in the win column and one loss behind Minnesota State for the conference title. Minnesota Duluth, Augustana and Wayne State are right behind Peacocks in third, fourth, and fifth.
 
Game 1: Southwest Minnesota State 4, Upper Iowa 3
 
UIU jumped out to a 3-0 lead after four innings to start game one. Kruel singled home Sammy Garrett in the top of the third for the first run of the game. Then in the fourth, Lauren Marlinghaus hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Erica Kirgan and Sammons hit a double that brought home Tara Duran to put Upper Iowa in front 3-0.
 
The Mustangs came back with a run in the bottom of the third when a leadoff double came around to score on a double steal to make it 3-1.
 
SMSU tied at 3-3 the game with a two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth and then took the lead, 4-3, in bottom of the sixth on an RBI ground out.
 
The tried to mount a rally in the top of the seventh as Sammons drew a one-out walk. Two batters later, Kruel singled and Sami Kay Shafranski walked to load the bases, but a strike out stranded all three runners and ended the game.
 
Jacqueline Flood (16-8) took the loss as she allowed four runs, three earned, on just four hits. Flood struck out one and walked one.
 
Game 2: Upper Iowa 4, Southwest Minnesota State 1
 
The Peacocks and Redmond controlled game two from the start and outhit the Mustangs 10-3 in the game.
 
Upper Iowa scored first as Shafranski singled, stole second and scored on a Kirgan single to center in the top of the first. The Mustangs tied the game in their half of the first when the leadoff hitter reached on an error and advanced all the way to third. She would score a batter later on a fielder's choice to tie the game 1-1.
 
The Peacocks added two runs and took the lead for good in the top of the fourth. Marlinghaus hit a one out single and had Jenny Budds come on for her as a pinch runner. Sammons doubled to left and Budds moved to third, then came home to score on a throwing error by the catcher. Garrett came up next and hit a sac fly that allowed Sammons to score from third to make it 3-1, Peacocks.
 
UIU added another run and put Upper Iowa on top 4-1 in the top of the sixth when Marlinghaus scored on a wild pitch.
 
SMSU had a lead-off single in the bottom of the fourth, but Redmond (17-4) proceeded to retire the final 12 Mustang batters in order. The Basehor, Kansas native  gave up just one unearned run on three hits over seven innings and struck out 11, her fifth double-digit strike out game of the year.