The Peacock softball team dropped a pair of games on day two of the HyVee Classic in St. Joseph, Mo. on Saturday. Powerful offensive efforts proved to be the difference, as UIU's opponents combined for 16 runs and 30 hits on the day. Upper Iowa's rally came up short in game one against #9 Central Oklahoma 9-8, and the bats were quiet in a 7-2 defeat at the hands of Pittsburg State in game two. With the two losses, the Peacocks drop to 5-13 on the season.

Game One
Upper Iowa found themselves in a deep hole early in game one on Saturday against the #9 Bronchos of the University of Central Oklahoma. UCO put up a four-run first inning off of freshman starter Emily Kisch, including a pair of rbi-doubles to left field from JoBi Heath and Tori Collett to open up a 2-0 lead. Carli Jones put the exclamation point on the first frame with a two-run home run to left center to push the early lead to four. UIU would have to dig themselves out of the early hole.

The comeback would have to wait, however, because the Bronchos were ready to add on to their advantage. Carrie Abrams launched a solo shot to right field in the second inning to extend the lead to 5-0, and an inning later, UCO pushed across two more with an rbi-bunt and infield single to take what seemed to be an insurmountable 7-0 lead.

Upper Iowa was able to get a run back in the bottom of the third with an rbi-single from Tara Walls to get on the board. However, a second two-run shot from Jones in the fourth frame would give Central Oklahama a 9-1 lead, and it appeared that the game was over. However, the Peacocks fought back.

The rally started in the fifth. Walls picked up an rbi-fielder's choice to score Sami Kay Shafranski. After a two-out walk to Jenny Budds, freshman Ali Green launched her first career home run, a grand slam to right field to get UIU right back in the game, trailing 9-6. UCO would threaten in the top of the sixth to add more runs, but Kisch worked her way out of a bases-loaded jam to keep the deficit at three heading to bottom of the inning.

After each team traded a scoreless half inning, Upper Iowa had one more chance in the bottom of the seventh. Back-to-back singles from Buffington and Budds got the inning started. Green stepped up and hit a ground ball in the infield. After a fielder's choice, Buffington would come around to score on an interference call to cut the deficit to 9-7 with one out. Pinch-hitter Michaela Schumacher stepped up and ripped an rbi-single up the middle to score Budds and all of a sudden, it's 9-8. But a fielder's choice and a groundout would end the game, with UIU coming up just one run shy of a remarkable comeback.

Kisch took the loss in the circle, tossing seven innings, allowing 16 hits and 9 earned runs. Sammy Garrett led the Peacocks at the plate with three hits, while Green picked up her 4 runs batted in on the grand slam, and Walls added a pair of RBI's as well.

Game Two
Walls got things started in the top of the first for Upper Iowa in game two against the Pitt State Gorillas. An rbi-single scored Garrett to put UIU up 1-0, but Pitt State would answer right away in the bottom half of the inning to tie things up. A wild pitch from Peacock starter Erin Drahozal put PSU on the board, and would jumpstart the Gorilla offense to a big day.

A solo home run in the second from Kyle DeClue put Pitt State up 2-1. Garrett would answer in the third for UIU with an rbi-single to tie the game, but the Peacock bats would not muster another run in the game, and PSU would eventually separate themselves.

Two ground outs, two singles, and a sacrifice fly would all score runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings to push the Pitt State lead to 7-2, and UIU did not have the response at the plate. Courtney Clayberg came in to replace Drahozal in the fourth inning and would toss three innings in relief. Upper Iowa scattered 10 hits in the game, including three from Budds, but the Peacocks could not push the runs across against Gorilla starter Brittany Beaudet, who pitched 6.2 innings for the game.

Drahozal took the loss (0-2), allowing 7 hits in her three innings in the circle. Clayberg gave up 7 hits in relief as well.