The Peacock softball team earned its first doubleheader sweep of the Northern Sun season on Sunday afternoon at the University of Minnesota Crookston. Upper Iowa scored 7 runs in the first three innings combined, and never surrendered the lead. With the sweep, UIU improves to 11-23 overall and 3-9 in NSIC play. The pair of losses drops the Golden Eagles to 11-22-1 overall and 1-10-1 in league action.
 
Upper Iowa will wrap up its road trip in the midweek with a doubleheader at Concordia University, St. Paul on Wednesday, April 12 in St. Paul, Minn. First pitch of game one with the Golden Bears is scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.
 
Game One
The Peacocks were able to score runs early to claim the lead in game one against Golden Eagle starter Bailey Braatz. The scoring got started in the second inning when Shannon Nix ripped a solo home run to give UIU a 1-0 advantage for their pitcher Erin Drahozal.
 
Drahozal did not give up a hit until the fourth inning, and scattered just four hits all game to earn the win. The sophomore from Cedar Rapids, who usually gets the start in game two, was given the ball in game one and improved to 3-7 on the season. Drahozal allowed just two runs on the day as well.
 
Upper Iowa added another run in the third inning when Sammy Garrett scored Julia Buffington on a sacrifice fly. Buffington reached on an error to open the inning, making the run unearned for Braatz.
 
The home team got on the board in the fourth inning, when Maggie Morales hit a solo home run to pull within 2-1. The Peacocks, however, had an answer in the fifth when Garrett picked up her second RBI of the afternoon. The senior singled to score Sami Kay Shafranski to increase the lead to 3-1. Riley Kruel added another insurance run in the seventh with an rbi-single, and that was all Drahozal needed in the circle.
 
The Peacock pitcher gave up an rbi-ground out in the seventh inning, but still held on for the 4-2 win to take the opener.
 
Shafranski and Garrett each tallied two hits for the game to lead the offense at the plate. Garrett's two RBI were a game-high as well.
 
Game Two
Courtney Clayberg got the start in game two for Upper Iowa, and put together one of her best performances in the circle this season. The sophomore from Ankeny, Iowa improved to 3-5 on the season after allowing just four hits and two runs in the complete game. Clayberg would get plenty of run support early on as well.
 
The Peacocks struck big in the first two frames, including a two-run first. Garrett earned her third RBI of the day after making weak contact and hitting a slow roller out in front of the plate. The Golden Eagle catcher threw down to first for the out allowing Kruel to score. Shafranski moved to third on the play, and would come around to score a few batters later on Ali Green's fielder's choice.
 
In the second inning, Buffington crushed a two-run home run to put the visitors up 4-0. A few batters later, Garrett tallied her fourth RBI of the day with a run-scoring single to give Clayberg a comfortable 5-0 advantage.
 
Clayberg, in the mean time, took a no-hit bid to the sixth inning, and was dominant on the afternoon. After being given a 6-0 lead in the top of the inning on a Riley Kruel rbi-single, Clayberg gave up her first hit of the game. UMC tallied two hits in the inning, and scored a pair of runs on a run-scoring single and a sacrifice fly to chip into the Peacock lead.
 
Jordyn Brennan doubled in the seventh to give the visitors a 7-2 lead, and Clayberg slammed the door shut in the bottom of the inning with a double play and a fly out to earn the five-run win.
 
Five Peacocks totaled two hits apiece in the game. Garrett and Buffington each registered two RBI, with Garrett tallying four on the day.