The Peacock softball team made the long trip up to the northern part of North Dakota on Sunday afternoon, and dropped a pair of games to the Beavers of Minot State University. The Beavers scored in all but one inning in game one, and then used a comeback in the seventh inning to walk off on Upper Iowa in game two. It was a tough weekend for UIU, as they drop under .500 for the first time this season, and are currently 18-20 on the season, and 5-13 in the Northern Sun Conference. Minot State improves to 23-18 overall and 10-10 in league play with the sweep.

Upper Iowa will head to Mankato, Minn. on Wednesday, Apr. 25 for a doubleheader with the defending national champion Mavericks of Minnesota State University. The twin bill will begin at 2 p.m. The team will return to the Eischeid Softball Complex on Saturday and Sunday, Apr. 28-29, for their final four home games of the season. UIU will meet the Wolves of Northern State University Saturday at 1 p.m. for Strikeout Cancer Day, and will square off with the Dragons of Minnesota State University Moorhead on Sunday at 12 p.m. for Senior Day.

Game 1: Minot State 6 - Upper Iowa 3
The Peacocks scored first in game one Sunday, as Jordyn Brennan continued to stay hot offensively with an rbi-single to center field to score Jenny Budds. The Peacocks led 1-0, but Minot State would take over in the bottom of the first and would not look back.

The Beavers evened the game with a run-scoring single of their own off UIU starter Emily Kisch. The sophomore only lasted two innings in the opener, allowing two runs on four hits. Erin Drahozal replaced Kisch in the third inning, and pitched the rest of the way, allowing four runs on seven hits in relief. Kisch would be the pitcher of record, taking the loss and dropping to 9-8 on the season.

Minot State took the lead for good in the second inning, when Ashley Hill hit a solo shot to left field. The home team would score a run in each of the first four innings, and it came on a double in the third and a triple in the fourth. UIU did score on in the top half of the fourth frame, when Payton Kastenschmidt ripped a single to score Katie Crogan, but after four innings, the Beavers led 4-2. The Peacocks, however, did make it a game in the fifth, adding another run to get within 4-3. Crogan scored on an infield hit to plate Brennan, and it was just a one-run game.

The Beavers changed that in the sixth. A two-run home run by Tori Zimmermann extended the lead to 6-3, and Minot State did not look back. UIU did not score in the seventh, and the Beavers earned the game-one win. Offensively for UIU, Brennan's two hits were a game-best.

Game 2: Minot State 6 - Upper Iowa 5
Jaclyn Thompson got the start in game two for the Peacocks, and bounced back with a strong six-inning performance. The junior transfer allowed four runs on eight hits and added five strikeouts in a no-decision effort. Like the opening game, it was Upper Iowa who got on the board first. In the third, Brennan broke the scoreless tie with a sacrifice fly to score Budds. UIU once again led 1-0, and would lead for the majority of the game.

In the fourth, the lead grew to 2-0 when Shannon Nix plated Julia Buffington with a sacrifice fly of her own. However, the Beavers would answer in the home half of the fourth frame. An rbi-double got a run back for the home team, and the Peacocks took a 2-1 advantage to the fifth.

The fifth inning was a big one for Upper Iowa, scoring three times on four hits and sending all nine hitters to the plate. Crogan plated the first run of the inning on an infleld hit to shortstop, and Buffington followed that up with an rbi-single. Kastenschmidt then reached on an error in the infield, scoring the third run of the frame for the Peacocks. UIU looked to be in control, leading 5-1 with six outs to get.

However, the comeback was on for the home team. A run-scoring double got one of the runs back for the Beavers, and a 5-2 game headed to the seventh. That's when it got crazy. A lead-off walk opened the inning, and after a stolen base and a single, runners were at the corners with no one out. Thompson was replaced by Sydney Wilcox, who inherited a tough situation. The tying runs were on base with no one out. A stolen base put runners on second and third, and a sacrifice fly followed to plate a run and it was a 5-3 contest. A single put runners on first and third with one away, and a stolen base then put the tying runs in scoring position. A single scored another run, and it was 5-4 Upper Iowa at that point. After the single made it a one-run game, Thompson re-entered in the game for the Peacocks, replacing Wilcox. The junior then walked the bases loaded, and a second straight base-on-balls then tied the game at 5-5 with still just one out. An infield hit would then win the wild game for Minot State, who earned the sweep on the walk-off, comeback win.

Buffington's 3-for-4 effort at the plate led UIU offensively, and Budds added a two-hit performance as well.