The Upper Iowa University softball team split their first of two days at the Fairfield Inn and Suites Classic in St. Joseph, Mo. The Peacocks took a quick 2-0 lead in game one against the University of Nebraska at Kearney, but five runs in the fifth inning propelled UNK to a 9-3 win. In game two against the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, UWP took a 3-0 first-inning lead and led 4-0 in the fourth, but the Peacocks battled back for a 5-4 comeback victory. UIU moves to a 9-9 record with two games to go before NSIC action.
Nebraska-Kearney 9, Upper Iowa 3
The Peacocks took an early 2-0 advantage in the top of the first inning thanks to a two-run homer from
Katie Crogan. However, UIU's time in the driver's seat was short-lived after Nebraska-Kearney tied the score before recording an out in the bottom of the first. The Lopers took the lead on an unearned run coming from an Upper Iowa error, and UIU's 2-0 edge became a 3-2 deficit by the end of the first frame.
Upper Iowa loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the third, and
Sara Jessie earned a game-tying RBI after getting hit by a pitch to knot the score at 3-3. However, the run would prove to be UIU's last as they left the bases loaded. UNK took control again thanks to five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Lopers led off with three straight singles, and runs on a pair of singles and a wild pitch put UNK up 8-3 with two innings to play.
UIU stranded a pair of Peacocks in the top of the sixth, and UNK added one run to their lead, 9-3, before relief pitcher
Rylee McGonigle and the UIU defense left the bases loaded. The Peacocks went down in order in the top of the seventh to end the game.
Three Peacocks combined for UIU's five hits, while Nebraska-Kearney notched 11 hits in 28 at-bats (.393). Crogan led UIU with two runs and two RBI while hitting 2-4 (.500).
Kaylee Frenette hit 2-4 (.500) and came around to score on Crogan's homer in the first inning.
Ari Charles (1-3) added UIU's other hit.
Upper Iowa 5, Wisconsin-Parkside 4
Just like game one, game two saw the away team jump out to an early lead in the top of the first. However, the Peacocks were on the wrong end of the scoring as Wisconsin-Parkside built a 3-0 advantage in their first offensive opportunities. After
Rylee McGonigle and the UIU defense started the game with a putout, the Rangers scored thanks to a HBP, an error, and consecutive walks to go up 1-0 before a two-run single made it a 3-0 game.
The Upper Iowa offense stranded a runner in each of the first three innings while holding Wisconsin-Parkside scoreless in the second and third. UWP found their offense in the top of the fourth and hit three straight two-out singles to go up 4-0 before a McGonigle strikeout ended the inning and stranded two. The fourth inning would be where the Peacocks found their offense as a
Katie Crogan walk and a
Calista Brockman RBI double to lead off the bottom of the inning cut the UIU deficit to 4-1. After two outs, an
Aubree Terris walk followed by a
Samantha Jessie RBI single cut the deficit to two at 4-2.
Kaylee Frenette loaded the bases with a single in the next at-bat, but the Peacocks could not bring any additional runs home.
Upper Iowa kept the offense going in the bottom of the fifth as a single from
Amelia Fitzgerald and a two-run round-tripper from Crogan tied the game at 4-4. The Peacocks completed the comeback in the bottom of the sixth thanks to three consecutive one-out singles from Frenette,
Sara Jessie, and Fitzgerald that gave UIU a 5-4 lead. The Rangers put the tying run on base with one out in the top of the seventh, but McGonigle and the UIU defense closed the game with a flyout and a strikeout to secure the 5-4 victory.
UIU scored five runs on ten hits compared to four runs on five hits by UWP. Upper Iowa scored all five of its runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings as the offense scored in each of its final three opportunities. Frenette hit 2-4 (.500) with a run for the second straight game. Fitzgerald went 2-4 (.500) with an RBI. Crogan hit 1-3 (.333) and worked a walk, and she added two runs, two RBI, and a two-run homer for the second game in a row. McGonigle earned the complete game win in the circle with three strikeouts, three walks, and four earned runs.
Up next, the Peacocks are set to play two more games at the Fairfield Inn and Suites Classic in St. Joseph, Mo. on Mar. 20. UIU is slated for a rematch against the University of Nebraska at Kearney at 3 p.m. before taking on tournament host Missouri Western State University at 5 p.m.
