The Peacock softball team picked up a split in the final non-conference doubleheader of the season on Tuesday to open the home schedule. Upper Iowa and Wisconsin-Parkside each traded offensive outbursts in a pair of run-rule shortened games. UIU picked up a 10-1 win in five innings in game one, and the visiting Rangers picked up a six-inning, 11-3 victory in game two. With the split, the Peacocks are now 8-14 before they open NSIC play. UWP is 6-16 on the season.
 
Upper Iowa will have a week off before heading to Winona, Minn. to open the Northern Sun season against the Winona State Warriors on Tuesday, Mar. 28. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 2 p.m.
 
Game One
Emily Kisch put together her second-consecutive dominant showing in the circle on Tuesday afternoon in game one. The freshman pitcher went the distance for the second time in three days, allowing just one run on seven hits while walking four and striking out two. Kisch would get plenty of run support in the game as well.
 
Jenny Budds opened the scoring in the second inning with a bases-loaded rbi-single to right field to give the Peacocks a 1-0 lead. Two batters later, Sami Kay Shafranski drew a walk to score another run and UIU held the early advantage, putting pressure on the Ranger pitcher Allison Hausl.
 
In the third inning, Shannon Nix added to the lead with a single to score Tara Walls, who had three different lead-off doubles to right center on the afternoon. The 3-0 UIU lead held until the bottom of the fifth, when the Peacock offense picked up the scoring even more.
 
With the bases loaded, a wild pitch pushed across the first run of the inning, and Upper Iowa was off and running. Budds then grounded out to the right side for an RBI to extend the lead to 5-0. Two batters later, Shafranski ripped a two-run single to center to extend the lead to 7-0. The four-run inning pushed the starter Hausl out of the game, and UIU still was not done scoring.
 
After Wisconsin-Parkside scored in the top of the sixth to avoid the shutout, the home team got the run right back in the bottom half of the inning. After yet another lead-off double by Walls, Ali Green ripped a single to right center to score the run. Jordyn Brennan would step up two batters later and ended the game with a double to score two runs to push the lead to 10-1. The eight-run rule came in to play, and UIU claimed the game one win.
 
Four Peacocks led the way with two hits apiece, including Shafranski, Garrett, Walls, and Nix. Shafranski led the team in game one with three runs batted in as well.
 
Game Two
The second game started the way the first game ended, with Upper Iowa staying hot at the plate. With two runners on in the bottom of the first, Buffington hit a ground ball to second base, and a throwing error scored two runs to give the home team a quick 2-0 lead. However, Wisconsin-Parkside would answer back off Peacock starter Erin Drahozal.
 
An rbi-triple and an rbi-single in the third inning tied the game at two, but the Peacocks would regain the lead again in the bottom half of the frame. Green laced a run-scoring single up the middle to give UIU a 3-2 advantage, but this time the Rangers would strike big to take their first lead.
 
A pair of two-run singles and a UIU error would score four runs in the fourth inning for the Rangers, and three doubles scored five runs in the fifth to open up a big lead. The Peacocks would have to make pitching changes in the inning, replacing Drahozal with game-one starter Kisch, and following it up with Courtney Clayberg the rest of the day.
 
UIU would not push across a run in the bottom of the fifth, and the game came to a close with the eight-run rule applying once again. The 11-3 final ended the day with a split on the afternoon.
 
Budds and Garrett totaled two hits to lead UIU in game two, and Drahozal took the loss in the circle after pitching 3.1 innings.