The Peacock softball team got the 2018 season off to a great start on Friday night at the St. Cloud State Classic at the SCSU Dome. Upper Iowa swept the Rangers of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in a tightly-contested game one, and pulled away with a shutout in game two. UIU begins their season 2-0 for the second time in the last three seasons, and will look for more on Saturday.

Upper Iowa will wrap up their opening weekend on Saturday with a twin bill with Black Hills State University. First pitch of game one is slated for 3 p.m., with game two to follow at 5 p.m.

Game 1: UIU 3 - UWP 2
Wisconsin-Parkside grabbed the early lead in game one with an rbi-double in the first inning, but the difference in the opener came with one swing of the bat in the second. After the first out, right fielder Erin Drahozal got it started with single up the middle, and was sacrificed over to second by teammate Jordyn Brennan. After a Julia Buffington walk, freshman Amanda Williams launched a home run in her first career at-bat. Upper Iowa led 3-1, and would not look back.

From then on out, the pitchers took over. The Rangers would not score again until the sixth, with a triple to get within one. However, Wisconsin-Parkside would leave three more batters on base before the end of the game, as UIU slammed the door shut to hold on by one.

Emily Kisch earned the win in game one for Upper Iowa, and opens her sophomore campaign 1-0.

Game 2: UIU 7 - UWP 0
The 8 p.m. start on Friday night was a clinic from newcomer Jaclyn Thompson. The junior transfer mowed down the opponents with seven shutout innings for the first shutout of the season.

Offensively, UIU scored two runs in the first, two in the third, and one in each of the final three innings to easily pull away 7-0. Katie Crogan, Shannon Nix, and Sami Kay Shafranski all drove in runs for the offense, and paved the way for the opening day sweep.

FULL STATS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOLLOWING THIS WEEKEND'S GAMES.