The Peacock softball team was swept on day one on the road in Pittsburg, Kan. The Pittsburg State Gorillas combined for 18 runs and 19 hits on both games to earn the wins. With the two losses, Upper Iowa drops to 1-7 to begin the season.

The two teams will return to the field on Sunday for a pair of games to close out the weekend. The twinbill gets underway at 11 a.m.

Game One
Emily Kisch got the start in the circle to open the day, and the Gorillas put pressure on the pitcher right from the beginning. Kisch worked around two walks and a hit by pitch in the bottom of the first to hold the home team scoreless. Pitt State picked up a hit and a walk in the second, but again the Peacock pitcher was able to recover to get a scoreless inning.

The Gorillas sent all nine batters to the plate in the fourth inning, scoring 5 runs on 3 hits. After a throwing error in the infield scored the first, a bases-loaded single played the second. Both runs were unearned, but the home team was not done. A two-out, bases-clearing double with the bags packed scored three to open the game up.

Erin Drahozal came in to replace Kisch in the fifth inning after Pitt State scored again, but another RBI-single and a sacrifice fly out PSU up 8-0 to end the game in the fifth.

Riley Kruel had the only Peacock hit of the game against Gorilla starter Emily Robertson.


Game Two
Pitt State opened up the second game with the same momentum as they closed the first, scoring five runs in the first two innings off Peacock starter Courtney Clayberg. Two RBI-singles and an run-scoring double plated a pair, and the home team got a little help from Clayberg with a bases-loaded walk and hit by pitch to score two more.

Upper Iowa's bats woke up, however, in the second game on Saturday. Sammy Garrett ripped a three-run home run to center field in the top of the third to get UIU within two. However, another bases-loaded walked helped the Gorillas answer to lead 6-3 after three innings.

The Peacock comeback was on in the fourth frame. Jordyn Brennan poked an RBI-single to left center to score one, and Kruel followed with an infield hit to plate another. UIU took their first lead of the day after Sami Kay Shafranski shot a two-RBI triple down the right field line to put the visitors up 7-6. But just as the momentum was swinging towards Upper Iowa, the Gorillas grabbed the branch and swung the other way.

Back-to-back RBI hits in the bottom of the inning gave Pitt State the 8-7 lead back, and they would never relinquish it. A two-run home run in the sixth boosted the lead to 10-7, the eventual final score.

Kruel went 2-4 in game two to lead the Peacocks again. Clayberg went the distance in the circle allowing 9 earned runs on 12 hits.