It may have taken an extra game but for the first time in program history, the Upper Iowa softball team was crowned Northern Sun Conference Tournament Champions and is NCAA Tournament bound. The Peacocks defeated the Minnesota State Mavericks 3-2 in the second game of the championship to become the second program in school history to win a NSIC Tournament Championship and the first since the women's golf team did it in 2006-07 and 2007-08.
 
UIU fell in their first game to the Maverick 2-1 in 16 innings. But because Upper Iowa came from the winner's side of the bracket, they had to be beaten twice and the Peacocks would not be turned away in game two. Powered by strong pitching and timely hitting, the Peacocks prevailed after 23 innings to win the championship.
 
Senior Brooke Redmond and sophomore Sammy Garrett were named to the All-Tournament Team. Redmond earned victories against Winona State and Minnesota State, twice, to go 3-0 with a 0.95 ERA over the weekend. Garrett hit .333 (5-for-15) over the five tournament games, including a walk-off home run in the opening round against WSU and a solo home run in the 1-0 win over MSU to reach the championship games.
 
With the win, Upper Iowa improved to a school record 39-16 and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Central Region Tournament, played May 6-8 followed by the NCAA Super Region played May 13-14 on a campus to be determined. Minnesota State moved to 44-15.
 
UIU will learn its opponent in the NCAA Tournament on Monday, May 2 at 10 a.m., when the NCAA Division II Softball Selection show airs live online.
 
The NCAA Championships are set for May 18-21 at Regency Athletic Complex in Denver, Colorado in conjunction with NCAA Spring Championship Festival. The NCAA DII Softball Selection Show is set to air via webcast on NCAA.com on Monday, May 2 at 9 a.m.
 
Game 1: Minnesota State 2, Upper Iowa 1 (16 innings)
After senior Brooke Redmond started the game by retiring seven of the first nine hitters, Maverick lead-off hitter McKenzie Paap pulled a shot down the right field line that cleared the fence for a solo home run and gave MSU a 1-0 after the third.
 
UIU came back with a run of their own to tie in the top of the fifth. Senior Lauren Marlinghaus led off the inning with a single and was lifted for freshman pinch runner Jenny Budds. Budds stole second and moved over to third on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Sammy Garrett. With junior Riley Kruel batting, Budds came home on a wild pitch to tie the game at 1-1.
 
The Mavericks came right back and looked to take the lead in the bottom of the fifth when Samantha Buhmann led off with a double. MSU replaced her with a pinch runner and one out later she stole third to give Minnesota State a runner 60 feet away with only one out. Redmond, however, was up to the challenge and struck out the next hitter before inducing a ground out to end the inning.
 
The MSU pressure continued in the bottom of the sixth when the Mavericks led off with back-to-back singles. But once again, Redmond battled back by catching a popped up bunt, inducing a ground out to third and striking out the last hitter to keep the game tied at 1-1.
 
For the second time in three innings, Redmond worked out of a jam to strand a runner at third base. A lead-off double and sac bunt put the game-winning run just 60 feet away in the bottom of the seventh, but the Peacock pitcher got the next two hitters in order to force extra innings.
 
Minnesota State loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth on two hits and a walk, but a line out to shortstop kept the Peacocks alive and sent the game to the 10th inning.
 
In the bottom half of the 10th, the Peacocks brought senior Jacqueline Flood on in relief of Redmond. Flood worked around hits in the 10th and 11th, then retired 10 straight batters from the 12th through 15th.
 
The Mavericks finally broke through in the bottom of the 16th when Ashley Thell led off the inning with a double and moved to third on a wild pitch. The next hitter reached on an error and allowed Thell to score the game-winning run.  
 
Redmond got a no decision after tossing nine innings, scattering nine hits and surrendering just one run. Flood took the loss in relief, throwing six innings of four-hit ball and allowed just the one run.
 
Game 2: Upper Iowa 3, Minnesota State 2
The Peacocks got ahead in the third inning of the second game with a Flood single up the middle that scored Kruel to put UIU in front, 1-0.
 
An inning later, junior Tara Walls hit a solo bomb, her second home run of the tournament and fourth of the year that gave the Peacocks a 2-0 lead.
 
In the Mavericks half of the fourth, MSU cut the UIU lead in half with its first run of the game on a solo home run to center.
 
In the top of the sixth, Upper Iowa added an insurance run when senior Tara Duran hit an infield single that scored Flood. Minnesota State used a pair of hits, a single and a double, to score and cut the Peacock lead back to one, 3-2. UIU turned to Flood to take over on the mound and she was perfect to close out the game.
 
Redmond (20-5) earned her 20th win of the year, by throwing 5.1 innings and allowing two runs on five hits. She struck out two and walked one. Flood picked up her second save of the year by retiring all five batters she saw in order, including two strike outs.