The Peacock softball team opened up their week with a road split in Wayne, Neb. against the Wildcats of Wayne State College. The home team mounted a massive game-one lead that was too much to overcome, but Upper Iowa responded in game two. Emily Kisch's complete game allowed the visitors to earn the sweep to improve their record to 16-26 overall and 8-12 in the Northern Sun Conference. Wayne State now sits at 11-33 overall and 5-15 in league play.
 
Upper Iowa will come back home for Senior Weekend on Saturday and Sunday to match up with Minot State University and the University of Mary. The doubleheader with the Beavers gets going at 1 p.m., and will be broadcast in eastern Iowa on KCRG TV 9.2. Sunday's doubleheader with the Marauders will be available on KCRG TV 9.3 as UIU honors its five seniors.
 
GAME ONE: WSC 8, UIU 5
Wayne State jumped out to an early lead they would never surrender against Peacock starter Erin Drahozal. It all started with a four-run first inning behind back-to-back-to-back singles. The Wildcats put multiple base runners on in each of the first three innings to put pressure on UIU.
 
With the bases loaded in the second against UIU reliever Courtney Clayberg, WSC would add another run after a hit-by-pitch to lead 5-0. Wayne State added two more in the third with a pair of run-scoring singles to stretch the lead to an insurmountable 7-0.
 
Julia Buffington provided the run-producing for the Peacocks in game one, beginning with an rbi-single in the fourth inning to get the visitors on the board. Riley Kruel ripped a run-scoring single as well in the inning to get UIU with five, 7-2.
 
Wayne State answered in the sixth with yet another rbi-single; the Wildcats scored 7 of their 8 runs on singles. UIU's comeback attempt fell short in the seventh, but not without trying. Buffington hit a three-run shot in the inning to bring her RBI total to 4 for the game. WSC held on, however, for the game-one win.
 
Drahozal took the loss, allowing four runs in the first inning, to drop to 5-9 on the year. At the plate, Buffington three runs driven in were the highlight, but freshman Ali Green was spectacular, going 4-4 at the plate. Shannon Nix tallied three hits, while Buffington, Kruel, Sami Kay Shafranski, and Jordyn Brennan each totaled a pair of base knocks.
 
GAME TWO: UIU 3, WSC 0
Kisch was the story of game two for the Peacocks, pitching the complete game to earn the win. The freshman made her first start since game two at Concordia-St. Paul, and just her third start since April 4, but tossed a seven-hit shutout to improve to 7-11. Her offense gave her just enough support in game two as well.
 
The scoring got started in the visitor's second inning when Brennan ripped an rbi-double to center field to plate Tara Walls. UIU only tallying 6 hits in the game, made the most of those opportunities off Wildcat starter Nataliah Hopkins.
 
In the third inning, the Peacocks added to their lead with a single to left from Kruel, her second RBI of the day. After a scoreless fourth, the visitors added one more in the fifth when Sammy Garrett singled to score Shafranski to stretch the advantage to 3-0.
 
Kruel tallied four of the six hits in the game, and three different Peacocks tallied an RBI in the win. Kisch faced just 26 batters in the big win to earn the split.