The Upper Iowa University softball team was swept by the Winona State Warriors as both teams played their first NSIC games of the season. Playing in Fayette, Iowa for the first time in nearly two years, the Peacocks were unable to withstand the Warriors, who are ranked No. 15 in the 2021 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division II Coaches Poll. UIU was held to just two runs on five hits while WSU compiled 25 runs on 30 hits in 12-1 and 13-1 games that each went five innings due to run rule. Upper Iowa falls to 4-11 (0-2 NSIC) while Winona State improves to 13-2 (2-0 NSIC).
GAME 1: Winona State 12, Upper Iowa 1 (5 Inn.)
The opening game between the Peacocks and Warriors was scoreless through one inning of action, but Winona State would go on to tally 12 runs over the next four innings.
Abby McKay recorded two quick outs in the top of the second as she looked to be dealing from inside the circle, but WSU scored four runs thanks to a double, a single, a double, a walk, and a triple before recording the final out of the inning.
The Warriors added two more runs in the top of the third to push their lead to 6-0, but were held scoreless by McKay in the fourth. WSU led off the fifth inning with a double and a single, and a three-run home run that came after a strikeout propelled the Warriors to a 9-0 lead over UIU. McKay subsequently recorded her fifth strikeout of the game to secure the second out for the Upper Iowa defense, but a single and a home run would knock the Peacock pitcher from the game and give Winona State an 11-0 lead. Seven of those 11 runs came with two outs for WSU as the Peacocks were unable to get out of innings and limit the Warrior damage. The Warriors tagged relief pitcher
Abby Buckman for a home run from the first batter she faced, but Buckman was able to end the inning with a strikeout.
Still looking for their first baserunner of the game in the bottom of the fifth, the Peacock offense was able to break up Jordyn Kleman's bid for a perfect game as
Payton Kastenschmidt led off the inning with a single.
Samantha Jessie came in to pinch run for the Peacocks, and
Sydney Wilcox launched an RBI double through the right side to score Jessie and put the first Peacock run on the board. Kleman got back on track and sat down the next three batters to end the game at 12-1 in five innings due to run rule.
GAME 2: Winona State 13, Upper Iowa 1 (5 Inn.)
In game two of the NSIC doubleheader, the Warriors jumped on the Peacocks early with five runs in the top of the first inning.
Sydney Wilcox struggled to get things going in the circle to start the game as she issued a walk to the leadoff batter who advanced twice on wild pitches sandwiching a groundout. With a runner on third and one out, Winona State hit a single to take the 1-0 lead in the game. Wilcox then plunked the next two WSU batters to load the bases before UIU recorded a force-out at home for the second out of the inning. The Warriors got two more runs after their next batter got on due to an error, and they notched two more runs after that thanks to a single and a double in consecutive at-bats. A Warrior baserunner was tagged out on the way from second to third to end the inning, and WSU finished with a 5-0 lead after one inning of play.
The Peacocks were unable to lock down the Warriors offense in the top of the second as some sloppy defensive play and good hitting helped WSU take an 8-0 lead after two. Winona State tacked on their fourth two-out run of the second game with a solo home run in the top of the third to go up 9-0. In the bottom of the third,
Hannah Bridgewater recorded the first hit for Upper Iowa with a leadoff single.
Kristin Sadler subsequently earned a walk to give UIU two runners on with nobody out. Following a Peacock strikeout and a groundout that advanced the runners,
Amanda Williams earned her second walk of the day to load the bases with two outs as
Katie Crogan came to the plate. Looking to cut into the deficit for UIU, Crogan took some big swings but was unable to put a ball in play as she struck out despite fouling off a few pitches, ending the inning and leaving the bases loaded for Upper Iowa.
Winona State opened the top of the fourth inning with a single and a double before recording an out, and subsequently followed that out with a single, a double, and another single to score four runs and take a 13-0 lead.
Abby McKay came in to relieve Wilcox of her pitching duties and recorded a quick fly-out and strikeout to end the inning.
Payton Kastenschmidt led off the bottom of the fourth with a double and Carly Jeanes came in to pinch run for the Peacocks. Wilcox slapped a single to left center in the ensuing at-bat to put UIU runners on the corners with no outs.
Aubree Terris put a perfectly-placed bunt in play to score Jeanes from third and advance Wilcox to second, and she almost beat out the throw before being called out at first while earning the sacrifice bunt. A Peacock pop-out followed by a walk from Sadler gave UIU runners on first and second with two outs, but the Peacocks were unable to continue to close the gap and ended the inning with a 13-1 deficit.
McKay held the Warriors without a hit in the top of the fifth, but Upper Iowa was held scoreless in the bottom of the fifth to end the game in five due to run rule as Winona State picked up the 13-1 win in game two of the doubleheader.
UP NEXT... The Peacocks continue their home stand with back-to-back NSIC doubleheaders in Fayette, Iowa scheduled for Friday and Saturday. UIU hosts Northern State University on Apr. 2 for a two-game set starting at 1 p.m. before welcoming Minnesota State University Moorhead on Apr. 3 for a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m. at the Eischeid Softball Complex.
