The Upper Iowa softball team split its doubleheader against Wayne State College, winning 8-5 in game one before dropping game two 7-3. The Peacocks move to 11-14 overall and 2-3 in the NSIC, while the Wildcats move to 5-24 (2-6 NSIC).
Upper Iowa 8, Wayne State 5
The Peacocks got on the board early with three runs in the top of the first inning. UIU notched two runs, two hits, and worked three walks before the second out of the first frame. An RBI double from
Katie Crogan saw
Sara Jessie come around to score, and
Hannah Bridgewater picked up an RBI two at-bats later after drawing a bases-loaded walk. Crogan came around to score the third run of the inning after a fielding error allowed
Sophia Heckendorf to reach safely. UIU could not add to the lead as they left the bases loaded to end the inning, holding a 3-0 edge through the first half-inning.
Wayne State responded by scoring a run in the bottom of the first thanks to two walks, a groundout, a stolen base, and a passed ball. After two scoreless innings, the Wildcats cut the UIU lead to one, 3-2, in the bottom of the fourth, thanks to a walk and two singles.
After hitting her second double of the game in the top of the fifth, Crogan came around to score her second run of the game thanks to two wild pitches, giving UIU a 4-2 lead.
WSC returned the favor by scoring on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fifth to pull back within one at 4-3. The persistent precipitation and poor weather conditions got to
Sydney Wilcox as wild pitches added up, and three straight walks set the table for a game-tying, two-out RBI single. The fourth Wildcat walk of the inning gave the home team a 5-4 lead before a fielder's choice ended the inning.
UIU benefitted from having the top of the order up to bat in a do-or-die top of the seventh inning. Sar. Jessie reached on an error to lead off the inning before a single by
Amelia Fitzgerald set the Peacocks up with runners on the corners and no outs. Crogan smacked an RBI single up the middle in the ensuing at-bat to tie the game at 5-5. Crogan and Fitzgerald moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, allowing
Calista Brockman to crush a two-RBI double to put UIU ahead 7-5. After a walk by Bridgewater and a passed ball, Wilcox picked up an RBI and reached on a fielding error, matching the largest Upper Iowa lead of the game at 8-5.
Consecutive strikeouts marked the inning's first two outs, but
Kaylee Frenette worked a walk to load the bases. In her second at-bat of the inning, Sar. Jessie grounded into an inning-ending fielder's choice to send the game to the bottom of the seventh. A single and a fielding error brought the tying run to the plate for WSC with one out, but a line out and a flyout to the outfield ended the game and clinched an 8-5 UIU win.
Crogan led the way offensively, hitting 3-4 (.750) with three runs, two RBI, and two doubles. Brockman went 2-2 with a pair of hits, RBI, and walks while scoring and doubling once. The duo of Crogan and Brockman combined for five of the seven UIU hits, four of six RBI, and half of the team's eight runs. Sar. Jessie and Fitzgerald each hit 1-4 and scored twice, while Bridgewater and Wilcox notched UIU's other two RBI.
Wilcox (6-7) earned her sixth win of the season in her 12th complete game. She allowed six hits and five earned runs, and the team picked her up after a 3-0 lead slipped away. The weather contributed to her season-high seven walks, and she struck out one.
Seven Wildcats combined for the team's seven hits, led by Mary Krystofiak's 1-2 mark with two walks and two scores. Lauren Laudick hit 1-3 with two RBI and a walk. Callie Carraher got a no-decision in the circle after allowing four runs (three earned), walking four, and striking out four in five innings. Grace Lucka took the loss after allowing four runs (three earned) in the top of the seventh. In her two innings, she walked three and struck out two.
Wayne State 7, Upper Iowa 3
A leadoff single, two stolen bases, and a throwing error gave WSC a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. The Peacocks answered after Brockman reached on an error to lead off the second inning, and a walk by Bridgewater set up Wilcox for a game-tying RBI single. After a pair of outs, UIU scored its second unearned run of the inning thanks to an RBI single from Frenette to take a 2-1 lead.
The Peacocks left seven runners on base through the first six innings while stranding five Wildcats through the first 5.5 frames. Wayne State led off with a pair of singles in the bottom of the sixth inning, and a fielding error on the next at-bat allowed the tying run to come around, 2-2.
Abby Buckman and the Peacocks had a chance to get out of the inning as WSC had the bases loaded and two outs, but three consecutive singles put five unearned runs on the board and put the Wildcats ahead 7-2.
Sar. Jessie got hit by a pitch and came around to score after a single from Fitzgerald and an RBI groundout coming from Crogan, and the game ended with a 7-3 advantage on the scoreboard for WSC.
Half of Wayne State's ten hits and six of their seven runs came in the bottom of the sixth inning, while three of UIU's six hits came in the first two frames.
WSC's Kortney Buresh hit 3-4 with two runs and two RBI, while Kim Vidlak was 2-4 with a pair of runs batted in.
Frenette and Fitzgerald each hit 2-4 for Upper Iowa, combining for four of the team's six hits. Frenette, Crogan, and Wilcox combined for the three Peacock RBI.
Buckman (2-5) took the loss for Upper Iowa in the circle after allowing ten hits and seven runs. However, only three of the runs were earned. She also struck out four and walked one.
Sami Felt (2-5) earned the complete game Wildcat win after allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits. She also struck out one, walked three, and hit a batter.
Up next, the Peacocks are scheduled to head to Bemidji and Crookston, Minn. for a pair of NSIC doubleheaders. UIU is set to battle Bemidji State University at 1/3 p.m. on Saturday, Apr. 9, before competing against the University of Minnesota Crookston at 1/3 p.m. on Sunday, Apr. 10.
