The 2018 season came to an end Sunday for the Peacock softball team, and on a day filled with emotions, the team earned a split with the Dragons of Minnesota State University Moorhead. Upper Iowa was shut out in game one and was limited to just five hits, but bounced back in game two to put up double-digits on the scoreboard to win 10-3. With the split, UIU wraps their campaign at 20-24 overall and 7-17 in Northern Sun Conference play. MSUM ends 2018 at 14-30 overall and 5-19 in the league.

The Peacocks honored their lone senior on Sunday, recognizing Shannon Nix for her career. The Plato, Minn. native played in 95 games, making 84 starts behind the plate. The Peacock backstop has recorded 62 career hits, including 13 doubles, 1 triple, and 3 homes runs, while driving in 32. Shannon will graduate next week with a degree in business administration. It was an emotional day at the park, as both teams recognized their seniors one last time.

Upper Iowa brings bak all but Nix next season, and will look to build on their pitching, which improved in 2018. The team will look to get back to the NSIC Tournament next year, after missing out for the second consecutive season. Six seniors highlight next season's squad, with five juniors, and six sophomores who earned a lot of playing time as freshmen.

Game 1: MSUM 3 - UIU 0
The opening game Sunday was dominated by Dragon starter Becky Berth. After a tough outing on Saturday against No. 7 Winona State, the freshman bounced back with a complete-game shutout of the Peacocks, limiting UIU to five total hits. The Peacocks put runners on first and second with two outs in the first, but left them there. The team left seven on in the game, and could not push across a run.

UIU starter Sydney Wilcox was proving to be just as dominant early on, tossing a no-hitter after three innings, with seven strikeouts. For the game, Wilcox went all seven, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits, and tallied eight punch outs. The freshman kept UIU in it, but suffered the loss to drop to 3-5. MSU Moorhead scored two in the fifth on an rbi-double, and added one in the sixth on a passed ball.

Offensively, Ali Green went 2-for-3 to lead UIU at the plate.

Game 2: UIU 10 - MSUM 3
The season finale was the first time since 2016 that these two clubs got together with both scoring in the same game. The teams split in 2017, both posting shutouts, and MSUM added a 3-0 win in game one. But in game two, it was the Peacocks who struck first.

In the opening inning, Sami Kay Shafranski reached on a single, and then stole second base. On the throw down, Jordyn Brennan alerting took off, beating the throw back home to get the Peacocks on the board. Leading 1-0, freshman Katie Crogan stepped up and delivered an rbi-single to give the home team the lead they would not relinquish.

MSU Moorhead launched a solo home run to left field in the second to get on the board, but overall Jaclyn Thompson was dominant through five innings. The junior transfer allowed three runs (a two-run homer in the fifth), but tallied 11 strikeouts in 15 possible outs to record. Thompson was in line for the win, as her offense gave her more run support.

In the second, Brennan launched a solo shot to right center field, and the Peacocks led 3-1. Brennan then added to her RBI total in the fourth, with a run-scoring double to plate Jenny Budds. After five innings, UIU led 5-3, and Thompson was able to hand the ball off to sophomore Emily Kisch.

After a 1-2-3- sixth frame for Kisch, the Peacocks broke the game wide open. With the bases loaded, Crogan drew a walk to bring up Erin Drahozal. The junior responded with a grand slam to left center, and the home team led 10-3, putting the game out of reach.

Budds, hitting in the ninth spot, and Brennan, batting leadoff, combined to go a perfect 7-for-7 in game two. Budds went 3-for-3 with a double and two singles, and scored three times. Brennan was a triple away from the cycle, launching a homer, a single, and a pair of doubles to drive in three runs. The sophomore scored three times as well. Crogan added a 2-for-3 performance, while Green recorded another two-hit performance as well. Drahozal's four RBI led the team in the season finale.