The Peacock softball team wrapped up a busy week of action on Saturday in the SCSU Dome in St. Cloud, Minn. with a doubleheader against the Huskies of St. Cloud State University. Upper Iowa picked up a win in the opening game behind a complete-game effort from Emily Kisch, but the Huskies' offense awoke in game two to earn the split. UIU wraps up their week at 2-4, and sits .500 overall this season at 16-16, including a 3-9 mark in the Northern Sun Conference. St. Cloud State moves to 25-14 overall and 11-7 in league play.

UIU returns to Fayette and the Eischeid Softball Complex on Tuesday, Apr. 17 for a double dip with the Wildcats of Wayne State College. Game one begins at 2 p.m., and will be broadcast live on UIU TV and can be viewed in eastern Iowa on KCRG TV 9.2.

Game 1: UIU 5 - SCSU 2
The Peacocks trailed early in the opening game Saturday, as the Huskies struck first in the bottom of the inning off Kisch. A two-run home run to right field gave the home team a 2-0 lead, and it appeared as though that would be enough. However, Upper Iowa had other plans.

After allowing two runs on two hits in the first inning, Kisch settled in nicely, allowing just three hits the rest of the way, while shutting out SCSU in the process. The sophomore needed a little help from her offense to get back in it, and that is exactly what she got. In the fourth inning, Erin Drahozal singled to plate teammate Ali Green to get the Peacocks on the board, and UIU was back in the game at that point. The team then chipped away with a run in the fifth inning to tie the game at 2-2, when Katie Crogan singled to right to score Sami Kay Shafranski.

Crogan has had some late-game heroics already this season, and was at it again Saturday. The freshman tied the game in the fifth inning, and then gave the Peacocks the lead in the seventh to complete the comeback. Crogan launched a three-run home run to push UIU ahead 5-2, and added to her team-lead of six home runs this season. Kisch closed the door in the seventh, giving her the complete-game victory, her eighth win of the season.

Shafranski, Crogan, and Payton Kastenschmidt each tallied two hits in the victory for Upper Iowa in game one.

Game 2: SCSU 8 - UIU 1
The Husky offense came alive in game two, pushing across four runs in the opening inning against Peacock starter Jaclyn Thompson. The junior transfer lasted just 3.2 innings, allowing seven earned runs on eight hits, with a strikeout and a pair of walks. St. Cloud State added a run in the second inning to lead 5-0, and effectively put the game away.

Drahozal came in to replace Thompson in the fourth, after the Huskies added two more to push their lead to 7-0. Drahozal finished the game, allowing one run on one hit in 2.1 innings of relief. Offensively, Upper Iowa recorded eight hits, but could only turn them into one run. Crogan launched another long ball in the sixth, and now has seven home runs to lead the squad. The freshman is slugging an impressive .616 in 2018.

The Huskies added one more in the sixth, and wrapped up an 8-1 game in the seventh. Jenny Budds and Julia Buffington each logged two hits in the loss.
 

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