The Upper Iowa softball team was able to salvage a split in their midweek doubleheader with Concordia University, St. Paul by scoring four runs in the seventh inning to win game two 9-5. The Peacocks fell 7-1 in the opener.
UIU moved to 11-12 overall and 3-5 in the conference while CSP now sits at 18-10 overall and 5-3 in league play.
Erin Drahozal led the team with three hits while five other Peacocks had multiple hits. Katie Crogan, Michaela Schumacher and Emily Draeger each drove in two runs.
The Peacocks will return to Fayette for a pair of weekend doubleheaders against the University of Sioux Falls and Southwest Minnesota State University on Apr. 6-7.
Game One: Concordia-St. Paul 7, Upper Iowa 1
The Golden Bears wasted no time putting a run on the scoreboard as their leadoff hitter scored on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first after reaching via hit-by-pitch, stealing second, and advancing to third on a wild pitch.
Upper Iowa finally generated some offense in the fourth inning after opening the game with only one hit through the first three innings. Sami Kay Shafranski led things off with a single to third base and then advanced to second when Jordyn Brennan drew a walk. Julia Buffington then managed to plate Shafranski with a single to the gap in right center, but was later forced out trying to stretch the single into a double. The Peacocks ended the inning with a fly-out to right field before anyone else could score.
The score didn't remain tied at 1-1 for very long as the Golden Bears regained the lead with four runs on two hits and an error in the home half of the fourth. CSP first scored on a two-run home run over the right field fence and later added two more runs when a costly fielding error by the Peacocks allowed runners to advance when the bases were loaded.
Concordia-St. Paul continued their offensive momentum in the fifth with another pair of runs courtesy of the Golden Bears' second two-run homer of the game, this time over the left field fence. The Peacocks were able to get two more runners on base thanks to singles from Brennan in the sixth and Drahozal in the seventh, but CSP's starting pitcher Aryka Knoche was able to retire the six other batters without any damage.
Knoche (7-3) earned the win with a complete-game effort, allowing one run on six hits while striking out four batters.
Jaclyn Thompson (0-4) took the loss after allowing five runs (four earned) on three hits and five walks. Drahozal and Sydney Wilcox each tossed 1.1 innings and together allowed two runs on three hits.
Game Two: Upper Iowa 9, Concordia-St. Paul 5
The second game got off to a better start for UIU as the Peacocks were the first to strike with a run in the second and third. Upper Iowa first scored when Crogan rounded home on a dropped fly-ball, and then took a 2-0 lead when Jenny Budds scored on a double steal the next inning.
The Golden Bears got one back in the third with a sacrifice fly to left field to cut the deficit to 2-1.
The Peacocks put up their first crooked number of the game in the top of the fifth. With one out recorded, Kaylee Frenette reached first on a throwing error and then advanced to second on a groundout. Brennan was the next batter up and used a base-hit to shortstop to score Frenette and give UIU a 3-1 lead. Crogan then stretched that mark to a four-run advantage with her third long ball of the season.
Concordia-St. Paul was able to tie the game at 5-5 with one run in the fifth and three in the sixth. Carlie Hart scored for the second time on a single through the right side before the Golden Bears cranked up their bats with three solo home runs in the sixth.
Luckily for the Peacocks, a pair of two-rbi singles saved the game in the seventh inning. UIU was able to load the bases for Buffington thanks to a fielding error, single, and intentional walk, however Concordia-St. Paul got its second out of the inning on a fielder's choice, nabbing the runner at home. It didn't matter for the Peacocks, though, as back-to-back singles by Schumacher and Draeger plated the four runs Upper Iowa needed to put the game away. Thompson came in to record the final three outs and the Peacocks picked up a 9-5 decision.
Emily Kisch (7-4) earned the win after starting the game and then reentering the contest to record the final out in the sixth inning. Kisch gave up three runs on nine hits and struck out five batters in 5.1 innings.
Samantha Sullivan (8-5) was handed the loss despite only giving up one earned run on ten hits; seven of the nine Peacock runs were scored with two outs in innings that were prolonged due to CSP errors.
