The Peacock softball team headed down to St. Joseph, Mo. for the 2017 HyVee Classic hosted by Missouri Western State University. Upper Iowa picked up a split on the opening day of the tournament, beginning their day with a 6-1 win over Fort Hays State University. UIU then closed out the day with a close 2-0 loss to the University of Central Missouri. After the opening day of the tournament, the Peacocks now sit at 5-11 on the season.

Game One
Upper Iowa's offense got going early on in game one against Fort Hays State to support starting pitcher Emily Kisch. Sammy Garrett got the scoring started in the first inning with an rbi-double to left field to score teammate Sami Kay Shafranski. Kisch was solid through the first two innings, and UIU held an early 1-0 lead.

Shafranski would come in to score for the second time in the third inning after Tara Walls laid down a sacrifice bunt. Shafranski was safe under the tag on the throw home while Garrett advanced on the throw to put the Peacocks up 2-0. Garrett would punch an rbi-single up the middle in the fifth inning to score Riley Kruel to give UIU a 3-0 advantage.

In the meantime, Kisch was doing her thing in the circle for Upper Iowa. The freshman faced one more than the minimum in the first three innings, but Fort Hays State would threaten in the fourth. After a two-out walk and single, Kisch struck out the ensuing batter to end the threat and preserve the lead. After a one-two-three fifth inning, the Tigers finally got on the board in the sixth. FHSU pulled off a double steal at second and home to score a run and cut the deficit to 3-1. However, UIU was not done at the plate.

Upper Iowa put the game away in the top of the seventh, and they would do it all with two outs. With the bases loaded, Jenny Budds roped a single in to left field for an RBI to put UIU up 4-1. Erin Drahozal would follow it up with a two-rbi single to right field to give the Peacocks an insurmountable 6-1 advantage. Kisch would shut the door in the last of the inning to give UIU its fifth win of the season.

Kisch went the distance, allowing one run on four hits, while striking out six and walking just one. Three Peacocks finished with two hits each, with Shafranski scoring a team-high three runs.


Game Two
Central Missouri used outstanding pitching and defense to lock down the Peacock lineup to close out the opening day of the HyVee Classic. Jennie's pitcher Katie Giacone allowed just four hits in a complete game, and would shut out UIU en route to a 2-0 victory for UCM. Drahozal was strong in the circle for UIU, allowing just two runs on six hits, but the right hander would not get much run support in the game.

A pair of rbi-singles in the fifth and seventh innings would prove to be the difference, but Giacone was the story, allowing just 7 base runners in 28 batters faced. UIU threated in the fourth and seventh innings, including loading the bases in the final frame. A groundout would end the threat and the game, giving Upper Iowa a split on the day.