Upper Iowa split a pair of non-conference games at the Emporia State Classic hosted by Emporia State Univeristy on Thursday. The Peacocks dropped a 7-5 decision to Washburn University in the first game of the day, but bounced back with a 7-5 win over Pittsburg State University thanks to a late rally. After the day's split, the Peacocks are now 8-6 on the season.
Jordyn Brennan (5 hits, 3 doubles, 2 RBI),
Kaylee Frenette (4 hits, 5 runs) and
Julia Buffington (3 hits, 1 double, 1 triple, 3 RBI) led the offense on the day to score 12 runs.
Emily Kisch threw 6.1 innings including 6 in relief to pick up the victory over the Gorillas in game two.
UIU will face Northeastern State University in their only game at the ESU Classic on Friday at 10 a.m.
Game One: Washburn 7 - Upper Iowa 5
The Peacocks struck early for three runs in the top of the first inning on a two-run triple by
Julia Buffington.
Erin Drahozal followed the triple with a single to right field to plate Buffington and cap off the three-run, three-hit inning.
Washburn wasted little time in answering as they put together a three-run, four-hit frame of their own in the bottom of the first. The inning was highlighted by a two-run homer to center field with one out.
The Ichabods moved in front 4-3 in the bottom of the third inning with a second home run to center. Washburn carried their 4-3 advantage into the bottomof the sixth when they added three insurance runs pushing the margin to 7-3. All three runs were unearned due to an error on a would-be third out in the inning.
The Peacock offense got going again in the seventh after UIU put runners on the corners with one out.
Sami Kay Shafranski singled to right field to plate
Kennedy Newell. UIU loaded the bases with still just one out trailing 7-4, but only scored one more run on a sac fly off the bat of
Katie Crogan to drop game one 7-5.
Sydney Wilcox suffered the loss (2-3) after three innings of work; the sophomore allowed four runs on seven hits. Drahozal threw 2.2 innings and gave up three unearned runs on three hits.
Kaylee Frenette,
Jordyn Brennan and Buffington all tallied two hits in the game.
Game Two: Upper Iowa 7 - Pitt State 5
Pitt State raced out to an early 4-0 lead after the first inning fueled by a pair of Peacock errors and four hits including three singles and a three-run home run to left off UIU starter
Jaclyn Thompson.
Upper Iowa put their first run of the game on the scoreboard in the third inning. Frenette led the inning off with a single through the right side and came home on a double to the gap in left center by Brennan. Brennan was stranded at second after a foul fly and a pair of infield pop-ups.
The Gorillas got the run right back in the fourth inning snagging their only run of the game off reliever
Emily Kisch.
Trailing 5-1, the Peacocks got a run closer in the fifth inning when Frenette singled and Brennan doubled to setup UIU with two runners in scoring position with no outs. A ground out pushed one run across, but UIU was unable to cut the gap anymore.
Emily Draeger kicked off the rally in the bottom of the sixth with a solo homer to center field.
Ali Green,
Jenny Budds and Shafranski followed with singles to load the bases with no outs. Two more runs came home thanks to a miscue on the infield by the Gorilla defense and then Brennan and Buffington drove in runs to put the Peacocks ahead 7-5.
Kisch struck out a pair of batters to open the seventh inning and after a pair of runners reached base recorded the final out on a flyball to left.
Kisch improved to 5-2 on the season with the win going six innings in relief and allowing just one run on four hits while striking out four batters. Brennan picked up three hits in the game and drove in two runs, while Frenette tallied two hits and scored three runs.
