The Upper Iowa softball team took the field for another doubleheader against the Saints of Maryville University on Friday looking to avenge a pair of losses suffered on Thursday. In similar fashion to Thursday's opener, the Saints secured a one-run victory in extra innings after coming from behind in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game. UIU snapped their three-game slide in St. Louis in the final game of the series with a 5-3 win. With the split, UIU is now 7-4 on the season, while Maryville is 12-5.
UIU will round out the busy week of non-conference action on Sat., March 9 in Lebanon, Ill against McKendree University. The Bearcats and Peacocks will line up against each other beginning at 4 p.m. for the twin bill.
Game One: Maryville 8 - Upper Iowa 7 (8)
Upper Iowa was able to claim an early 2-0 lead in the top half of the first inning thanks to a two-run double from
Jordyn Brennan that pushed
Sami Kay Shafranski and
Kaylee Frenette across the plate. The Saints quickly tied the ballgame up in their half inning, though, with a two-run homer from pitcher Alyssa Callans.
Julia Buffington put the Peacocks back on top 3-2 with her first long ball of the season, but UIU couldn't capitalize on a pair of Maryville errors to further extend their lead by leaving two runners stranded in the third. The Saints upped their offensive pressure in the home half of the third and re-tied the game with a walk that resulted in a score from the bases being loaded. With only one out and the bases still loaded, UIU starter
Erin Drahozal handed the ball off to
Sydney Wilcox to get the Peacocks out of the jam. Maryville was able to tack on two more runs during the half inning to hold their largest lead of the game at 5-3.
Upper Iowa then used a three-run inning of their own in the fifth to regain the lead at 6-5. After the first out, the Peacocks pieced together four straight singles to bring the score to five runs apiece. Shafranski and Frenette each scored for the second time in the game and Brennan scored the go-ahead run off the sacrifice fly from Buffington. The Peacocks added an insurance tally in the sixth but surrendered a run to the Saints in both the sixth and seventh to send the game to extra innings.
Unlike Thursday's extra-inning contest, the Peacocks weren't able to take advantage of the runner placed on second base per non-conference rules. Upper Iowa quickly ended the eighth 1-2-3, and saw the game swiped by the home team with a walk-off, rbi-single.
Sydney Wilcox (2-2) took the loss after allowing three runs on five hits in 6.0 innings of work.
Frenette led the team with three hits, while Brennan picked up two and registered three runs batted in.
Game Two: Upper Iowa 5 - Maryville 3
After a scoreless first inning, Upper Iowa loaded the bases with no outs to start the second inning.
Katie Crogan led things off with a double and later scored on a wild pitch after Drahozal was hit by a pitch and
Kennedy Newell advanced the runners with a bunt-single. A fielder's choice grounder off the bat of
Jenny Budds plated a second run in the inning and a
Sami Kay Shafranski ground out gave the Peacocks three runs on a pair of hits and one Saint miscue on the infield.
After the big inning, the Peacock bats went silent in the third and fourth innings. While UIU's offense quieted, the Maryville bats livened up. The Saints scored a run in the bottom of the second, third and fourth innings to tie the game, 3-3, heading into the fifth inning.
In the fifth frame, the Peacocks strung together three straight hits including a pair of doubles by Buffington and Crogan to score two runs and claim a 5-3 advantage.
Upper Iowa was able to strand a runner on for the Saints in the sixth inning and two more in the seventh to preserve the lead and grab a victory.
Jaclyn Thompson started the game and took a no-decision after three innings in which she allowed two runs on three hits while striking out three.
Emily Kisch (4-2) came in for the win in relief with four innings of work. The junior only allowed a run on four hits to score the win.
At the plate Crogan had two hits and a pair of runs batted in.
