The Upper Iowa softball squad hosted Southwest Minnesota State for a double header on Sunday and earned themselves a split, winning the first game 11-6 and dropping the second 8-6. They picked up their first conference win and now hold a 1-3 mark in the NSIC and a 9-13 overall record. The Mustangs are 1-1 in the NSIC and 6-15 overall after the pair of matches.

Junior Ari Charles eclipsed the single season stolen base record in today's games. With over half of the 2023 schedule still left to play, Charles has already collected 26 stolen bases. She broke the previous record of 24 stolen bases, set by Jessica Gress in 2007. 

The first game was a battle of offensive power between the two teams. The Peacocks executed 17 hits in the win, while the Mustangs gathered 11.

UIU was first on the scoreboard in the opening inning after Serah Shafer baited a throw down to second and Ari Charles trounced home. SMSU stormed back in the second inning as they collected five runs on three hits. Despite the opposing team's scoring frenzy, the Peacocks still came out on top. They strung together their own 5-run inning in the third to give them the 6-5 lead. Their hot-shot offense was kickstarted by a home run by Hannag Bridegwater, her first of the season. 

The Mustangs added another run in the third to tie it all up at six runs apiece. However, UIU continued their scoring streak as they added an additional three runs in the fourth and two in the fifth to propel them to the 11-6 victory.

Charles and Shafer led the Peacocks with three hits each, while Laila Pelds collected three RBI's. Rylie McGonigle picked up the win in the circle after coming in to relieve Delaney Vetter. McGonigle threw five innings, allowing 8 hits and just one earned run. 

In the second game, the Peacocks held an early 4-1 lead heading into the fifth inning, but allowed the Mustangs to score six runs to help push them to the final score of 8-6. Both teams collected 12 hits in the contest.

The Peacocks scored two runs in the sixth inning in retaliation, but came up a tad short while trying to combat the offensive output by the Mustangs. UIU trailed 7-6 going into the bottom of the sixth inning when SMSU smacked a home run and added another run to their lead. Neither team scored in the seventh inning and the Mustangs sealed their 8-6 victory, grabbing a split on the day before departing Fayette. 

Samantha Jessie and Laila Pelds each tallied three hits to lead Upper Iowa in game two.

Abby Buckman threw just over four innings, allowing 10 hits and six runs, three of them earned. Abby Breur pitched just over an inning of relief, surrendering two hits and two runs, one of them earned. 

The Peacocks welcome the University of Sioux Falls to the Eischeid Softball Complex tomorrow for a doubleheader with games scheduled for 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.