FAYETTE, Iowa - Upper Iowa softball (1-7) stays in Iowa and competes against Sioux Falls (S.D.) (0-4) and Southwest Minnesota State (2-2) in Sioux Center. UIU plays USF on Saturday at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. and plays SMSU on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT
The Peacocks earned their first win of the season over the weekend, finishing 1-3 overall. Upper Iowa secured a 3-2 victory over Southern Nazarene (Okla.) (3-4). The Peacocks opened the weekend with losses to No. 18 Rogers State (Okla.) (7-2), 3-0, and Southwestern Oklahoma State (2-7), 1-0. UIU closed the weekend with a 6-2 loss to Southern Nazarene in the finale. 

Sara Reid earned her first win of the season in the first game of the SNU series, pitching 1.2 scoreless innings and striking out three. The senior totaled 11.1 innings between the SWOSU game and Sunday's doubleheader, allowing nine hits and two runs, one earned, while striking out four. 

Dorothy Ziebell had two RBIs and a hit in the win over Southern Nazarene. The sophomore also had a double in the game against Rogers State and recorded the Peacocks' only hit against Southwestern Oklahoma State. She was also on the mound for six innings this weekend, giving up seven hits, three runs and striking out two batters against RSU. 

Dani Laughlin and Reagon Proud totaled two hits, an RBI and a run on the weekend. Macy Alderson posted a run, a hit, and a double. Kaitlin Foral connected for two hits and ran home once. 

AROUND THE GLVC
Lauren Harris of McKendree (Ill.) (6-2) won GLVC Player of the Week. She recently led her team to a 5-3 victory over No. 8 West Texas A&M. In the past eight games, the Woodlawn, Illinois native has gone 14-for-28 (.500) from the plate, recorded two walks and had an on-base percentage of .533

Rosie Bartletti of Illinois Springfield (3-3) earned her second-straight conference Pitcher of the Week award. The senior helped her team win two of its last three games. She struck out 22 batters, allowed one hit and gave up zero earned runs during her 14.1 innings on the mound.

UIndy (4-0), McKendree and Missouri S&T (6-3) all have the best records so far out of the GLVC teams. Lincoln plays its first two games of the season against Stephens (Mo.) (1-3) on Sunday.

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) ranked Indianapolis No. 16 and McKendree No. 25. UIndy jumped six spots after receiving 151 points, while McKendree jumped into the top 25 for the first time after receiving 39 points. 

ABOUT THE COUGARS - Saturday at 3 p.m. / 5 p.m.
Sioux Falls has lost its past four games. The Cougars lost, 8-3, to Arkansas Tech (4-4), 9-1, to No. 11 Central Oklahoma (8-2), 1-0, to Northwestern Oklahoma State (4-6), 3-2, and to Newman (Kan.) (3-1). 

Kyra Knudtson slashes a team-best .455/.455/.636, while Charlie Pryor slashes a team second-best .333/.455/.667. Pryor has also scored three runs. Morgan Lindstad has a team-high two RBIs. Through 11.1 innings pitched, Maddi Duncan has allowed 12 hits and 10 runs with 13 strikeouts.

Tommy Downs is in his first season as head coach at Sioux Falls. Before USF, he coached at Dakota Wesleyan, where he led the program to a school-record 34 wins in 2025 and its first conference playoff berth in a decade.

ABOUT THE MUSTANGS - Sunday at 1:30 p.m. / 3:30 p.m.
Southwest Minnesota State split the St. Cloud Dome Games, 2-2, over the weekend. The Mustangs defeated Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.) (2-2), 10-4, and St. Cloud State (Minn.) (4-0), 3-2, but fell to Bemidji State (Minn.) (0-4), 7-1, and Concordia-St. Paul in the second meeting, 11-3. 

Grace Anderson slashes a team-best .500/.600/.750 with a triple and three RBIs. Aliza Acker and Carley Stych are both hitting .385 with five hits apiece. Stych is tied for the team-high with four RBIs with Emma Humpal. Jordyn Marsh has the team's lone home run this season. 

Marsh, a sophomore, has also pitched 14 innings, allowing 13 hits and five runs while striking out two opponents. She is allowing an opposing batting average of .236. Ramsey Hopp has thrown 12.1 innings, surrendering 20 hits and three runs with two strikeouts.

Bailey Bouman is in her eighth year as the head coach. She has accumulated an overall record of 143-176.

UP NEXT 
The Peacocks compete in the Lewis Flyers Dome Invitational on Feb.19-21. UIU faces Purdue Northwest (Ind.), Wisconsin Parkside, Roosevelt (Ill.) (1-1), Concordia-St. Paul, Bemidji State and Hillsdale (Mich.) (2-3).