The Upper Iowa softball team had an offensive explosion in Bismarck, N.D. on Saturday afternoon as the Peacocks swept a doubleheader against the University of Mary Marauders, 11-2 and 12-1. With the victory in game one, UIU (25-12, 11-4 NSIC) surpassed their win total from a year ago and are now just three wins away from tying the program record for wins in a season. The losses dropped U-Mary to 8-24 overall and 2-11 in the Northern Sun.  
 
Seniors Tara Duran and Lauren Marlinghaus hit back-to-back home runs that helped spark a seven-run fifth inning in game one. Duran was a triple short of the cycle and finished the game 3-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBI.
 
The Peacocks wasted no time getting on the board in game two, putting up a six-spot in the top of the first. UIU had the bases loaded in three of the five innings in game two, including the fifth when senior Jacqueline Flood hit a three run home run, the 27th of her career to take sole possession of the UIU softball home run record.
 
Flood picked up the win in game one, while senior Brooke Redmond got the win in game two. Freshman Courtney Clayberg pitched the final inning in each game.
 
The Peacocks will travel two hours north to Minot, N.D. for a doubleheader on Sunday against Minot State. The first pitch against the Beavers will be at noon.
 
Game 1: Upper Iowa 11, U-Mary 2
 
A Marauder error aided in the first run of the game for the Peacocks and gave UIU a 1-0 in the top of the second. Junior Tara Walls reached on a throwing error by the U-Mary third baseman and Duran brought her home with a double to center.
 
U-Mary got on the board and took the lead 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run home run off the back of Taylor Mendez.  
 
The Peacocks, however, responded in a big way in the top of the fifth as Upper Iowa scored seven runs on five hits and a couple more UM errors. The first five hitters of the inning reached for UIU and all five would find their way home. Junior Riley Kruel had a RBI single that scored junior Katie Sammons and sophomore Sammy Garrett which gave Upper Iowa the lead 3-2. Kruel scored a couple batters later by stealing home to make it 4-2. Then the Peacocks brought out the big sticks as Duran and Marlinghaus hit back-to-back home runs that extended the UIU lead to 8-2.
 
Duran started a three-run top of the seventh for the Peacocks with a double, her third hit of the game. Freshman Jenny Budds brought her home on a single up the middle. Freshman Julia Buffington came up next and reached on the fifth Marauder error of the game that allowed Budds and freshman Erin Drahozal to score.
 
Flood (12-7) earned the win in the circle for UIU as she allowed just two runs on three hits in six innings and struck out eight UM hitters. Clayberg came on in the seventh to close out the game with a 1-2-3 inning, including a strike out.
 
Game 2: Upper Iowa 12, U-Mary 1 (5 innings)
 
The Peacocks kept their hot bats swinging at the start of game two. UIU brought 10 players to the plate in the inning and scored six runs to lead 6-0 before the home team even got a chance to score.
 
Kruel led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Sami Kay Shafranski. Flood doubled down the left field line and brought Kruel home for the first run of the game. Senior Erica Kirgan followed that with a single to left and Walls walked to load the bases. A wild pitch allowed Flood to come home and make it 2-0. The U-Mary pitcher handed out free passes to both Marlinghaus, which loaded the bases, and Sammons to bring home Kirgan. Garrett subsequently cleared the bases with double to cap the six-run inning for Upper Iowa.
 
The Marauders used a two-out double to score in the bottom of the first a cut the Peacock lead to five, 6-1.
 
UIU loaded the bases with one out in the top of the third as Marlinghaus, Sammons and Garrett all singled. Kruel picked up an RBI as she reached on an error, followed by a Shafranski bunt single to push the Upper Iowa lead to 9-1.
 
In the top of the fifth, Garrett led off with a single and Budds singled on her second pinch hit effort of the day. This set up Flood to hit her seventh home run of the year and 27th of her career, breaking the tie between Flood and Kirgan for the most in Upper Iowa softball history.  Senior Mara Jones followed the home run with a pinch hit walk, Buffington pinch hit and reached on an error, and sophomore Shannon Nix had a pinch hit single to load the bases, but the Peacocks couldn't add to their 12-1 lead.
 
Redmond (12-3) threw four strong innings in the win. The left-handed pitcher allowed just one run on three hits, struck out three and walked one. Again, Clayberg came on for the final inning, surrendered one hit but induced a game-ending double play.