The Upper Iowa softball team split their final day down in Pittsburg, Kan. against the Pittsburg State Gorillas on Sunday. The Peacocks dropped the first game of the doubleheader 2-0 before rebounding with an 8-run, 13-hit performance in game two to wrap up their weekend with a win. UIU improves to 2-8 this season.

Game One
Emily Kisch took the loss in game one despite pitching one of her better games of the young season. The freshman tossed six innings of two-run ball allowing six hits on the afternoon. Pitt State's only runs game in the fourth inning when Katy Remy hit a two-run home run to left field. Holding a 2-0 lead, the Gorillas pitcher Emmie Robertson shut down the Peacock lineup.

Upper Iowa totaled five hits in the game, all coming from the top of the lineup. Riley Kruel registered two hits in the leadoff spot, while Sami Kay Shafranski, Sammy Garrett, and Tara Walls each posted a hit as well. 

The Peacocks had two on with no outs in the top of the sixth, but Robertson got a sacrifice bunt a pair of strikeouts to end the threat. UIU went down in order in the final inning of game one.


Game Two
Upper Iowa's bats once again came to life in the second day of the doubleheader, as they did on Saturday. The Peacocks trailed early 1-0 after the first inning, but answered back in the third to take the lead. Michaela Schumacher crushed her first home run of her career out to left to tie the game, and Shafranski followed it up with an RBI-single to give the visitors the lead 2-1.

Remy answered for the home team in the bottom of the third, roping a two-RBI double to right field to reclaim the lead for the Gorillas. However, Upper Iowa again had an answer in their half of the fourth.

Upper Iowa scored on a wild pitch, and followed it up with a another RBI-hit from Schumacher. Leading 4-3, Walls doubled to left center to extend the lead. Julia Buffington launched a two-run shot to left center to put the Peacocks up 7-3. Schumacher totaled her third RBI of the game in the seventh with a single up the middle to put UIU up 8-3. A couple late runs in the final inning from Pitt State attempted a comeback, but the door was shut by Kisch, who replace starter Courtney Clayberg after three innings.

Kisch threw ten frames on the day, and in game two allowed two runs on four hits in four innings to earn the win.