The Upper Iowa University softball team was swept by St. Cloud State University in a doubleheader matchup. The Peacocks were felled by a score of 8-4 in game one despite a pair of solo home runs in the top of the first inning. In game two, a 13-run second inning by St. Cloud sealed UIU's fate in a 15-0 game that went five innings due to run rule. Upper Iowa falls to a record of 10-25 (6-16 NSIC) on the season.
 

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GAME 1: St. Cloud State 8, Upper Iowa 4

The Peacocks started strong on offense as Amanda Williams and Katie Crogan each went yard with a pair of solo shots in the top of the first inning that quickly put UIU ahead by a score of 2-0. 

The Huskies came up with an immediate answer in the bottom of the first as they singled and walked to lead off the inning before hitting a double that scored a run and saw one runner get thrown out at home by the UIU defense. St. Cloud hit a two-run home run in the ensuing at-bat to take a 3-2 lead in the game. 

Neither team would threaten to score until the Peacocks came up to bat in the top of the fourth inning. Crogan hit a leadoff single ahead of a double from Sydney Wilcox that forced a SCSU pitching change. Emily Draeger picked up a bunt single to welcome the new pitcher and load the bases. Upper Iowa was unable to push any of their runners across the plate as they recorded three straight outs and left the bases loaded to end their half of the inning.

In the bottom of the fifth frame, St. Cloud hit a one-out double before a two-out single scored a run and made it a 4-2 ball game. A two-run home run in the next at-bat increased the UIU deficit to 6-2 before the end of the inning.

Wilcox worked a leadoff walk for the Peacocks, and a two-out double from Aubree Terris put two runners in scoring position in the top of the sixth. Peacock pitcher Abby McKay picked up a two-RBI single in the ensuing at-bat to cut the score to 6-4 before the end of the sixth inning.

After two quick outs to start the bottom of the sixth, the Huskies worked a walk ahead of another two-run round-tripper that built their lead back to four at 8-4. The Peacocks hit a one-out single in the top of the seventh inning as they looked to mount a comeback, but they left the runner on base as the game ended with the 8-4 score intact. 
 

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GAME 2: St. Cloud State 15, Upper Iowa 0 (5 Inn.)

Nine of the first ten batters went down in order to start the game, but that would all change in the bottom of the second. St. Cloud State led off the bottom of the inning with a single that they followed with a double before reaching on an error to load the bases with no outs. A single opened the St. Cloud scoring to take a 1-0 lead, and an error by UIU in the ensuing at-bat made it 3-0. The Huskies hit a single ahead of a pair of two-run doubles in back-to-back at-bats that pushed the score to 7-0. Two consecutive wild pitches scored another SCSU run to make it 8-0 and clear the bases. The Huskies hit a single in the next at-bat to put a runner on, and a fielder's choice in the following at-bat marked the first out of the inning. A hit-by-pitch and a third UIU error loaded the bases, and another error by the UIU defense in the next at-bat saw two runs cross the plate and push the score to 10-0 and knock Sydney Wilcox out of the circle. A passed ball in the next at-bat tacked on another run to make it 11-0. A fly out marked the second out of the inning, but the Huskies hit a one-run double and a one-run triple in consecutive at-bats to take a 13-0 lead in the bottom of the second before a fly out closed the frame.

The Peacocks went down in order in their next two half-innings, and St. Cloud stranded a runner of their own in between those UIU at-bats. The Huskies hit a leadoff single in the bottom of the fourth, and after a strikeout they hit a two-run home run to extend their advantage to 15-0. SCSU picked up a double and a single in back-to-back at-bats to put two runners on with one down, but the UIU defense turned an inning-ending double play to end the fourth frame. 

Needing to cut the lead to less than eight to extend the game, the Peacocks opened the fifth inning with consecutive outs. Sara Jessie notched a two-out bunt single to put a runner on, and Aubree Terris reached on an error to keep the inning alive. Relief pitcher Abby Buckman worked a walk to load the bases full of Peacocks, but a ground out from the top of the UIU order clinched a 15-0 final in five innings due to run rule.
 

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UP NEXT... The Peacocks play their penultimate weekend and final road games on May 1-2 in North Dakota. Upper Iowa matches up with the University of Mary at 12 p.m. in a doubleheader on May 1 before a meeting with Minot State at 12 p.m. for a two-bill on May 2.