The Upper Iowa University softball team secured a sweep of their doubleheader matchup against the University of Sioux Falls on Apr. 11. The Peacocks turned 13 game-one hits into a 3-2 win before scoring the lone run of game two in the top of the first inning as they benefited from some great pitching performances in both halves of the NSIC doubleheader. Upper Iowa improves to a record of 8-17 (4-8 NSIC) this season while USF falls to 12-14 (6-6 NSIC) on the year.
GAME 1: Upper Iowa 3, Sioux Falls 2
The Peacocks saw two runners reach base in each of the first two innings, but it was the Cougars who struck first with a solo home run in the bottom of the second inning to take a 1-0 lead. Upper Iowa came up with an immediate response in the top of the third as
Amanda Williams doubled to lead off the inning before
Payton Kastenschmidt hit an RBI single to knot the score at one run apiece in the next at-bat.
Katie Crogan kept the momentum going with a single of her own to put two UIU runners on with nobody out, but the Peacocks were unable to tack on any more runs in the third.
Upper Iowa continued their streak of getting multiple runners on base in the top of the fourth as
Kaylee Frenette and Williams hit back-to-back singles with two outs, but the score stayed 1-1 through four frames. After sitting the Peacocks down in order for the first time in the top of the fifth, Sioux Falls hit a single and a double in consecutive at-bats to give the Cougars two runners in scoring position with only one out.
Abby McKay managed to pitch the Peacocks out of the jam as she recorded a pop-out and a strikeout to end the inning.
In the top of the sixth,
Aubree Terris hit a one-out single for UIU as the Peacocks looked to get their offense going late in the contest.
Sadie Carpenter stepped up to the plate as a pinch hitter and slapped a triple to right field that gave Upper Iowa their first lead at 2-1. Frenette laid down a bunt to score the runner from third as she helped UIU push their lead to 3-1 after the first half of the sixth inning.
Two more Peacocks singled in the seventh inning to give UIU 13 hits on the day, but the score remained 3-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh. USF lined out in their first at-bat, but the Cougars recorded a pinch-hit single and a double in consecutive at-bats to put the tying runs in scoring position and bring the winning run to the plate. Sioux Falls got a sacrifice fly from their next batter that cut the Peacock lead to 3-2 and moved the tying run to third, but USF grounded out to end the game as McKay and the UIU defense held firm and secured the 3-2 win.
GAME 2: Upper Iowa 1, Sioux Falls 0
Upper Iowa opened the second game of the doubleheader with a one-out double from
Amanda Williams in the top of the first inning.
Payton Kastenschmidt shot a single up the middle to score Williams and give the Peacocks a 1-0 lead with one out in the top of the first. UIU struck out twice to end the inning, but tacking on a run in the first frame would prove to be the difference against USF.
The Cougars could not do anything with a leadoff single in the bottom of the first and the Peacocks were unable to take advantage of a walk and a single from their first two batters in the second as both defenses came up with stops. USF went down in order in the bottom of the second and both teams went down one, two, three in the third to keep the score at 1-0.
Sioux Falls led off the bottom of the fourth with a single and would have runners on second and third with just one out thanks to a wild pitch and an error from UIU.
Sydney Wilcox got out of the jam by forcing two Cougar groundouts to end the inning.
The Peacocks left two runners on the bases in the top of the sixth as
Katie Crogan earned a leadoff walk ahead of a one-out single from
Aubree Terris. The Cougars left a runner of their own on base in the bottom of the sixth, and the score stayed 1-0 as the teams went to work in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Wilcox was rolling inside the circle as she got a groundout and a strikeout to get within one out of ending the game. Sioux Falls knocked a pinch-hit single through the right side of the UIU defense to put the tying run on base, and the Cougars continued to claw back with another single in the ensuing at-bat to put two on with two down. USF brought up another pinch hitter with the winning run on base, but Wilcox came up with a game-ending strikeout to clinch a 1-0 win and a series sweep for the Peacocks.
UP NEXT... The Peacocks are set to play a pair of NSIC doubleheaders at home in Fayette, Iowa on Apr. 17 and 18. Upper Iowa will face the University of Minnesota Crookston at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Apr. 17 before playing Bemidji State University at 12 p.m. on Sunday, Apr. 18.
