UIU Sports
Howard Thompson, Sports Information Director
FAYETTE – The Peacock softball team and UIU facilities staff worked hard the last two days to get the field at the Eischeid Softball Complex ready to play against Wayne State College on Tuesday. The results were well worth all the work as Upper Iowa posted their first double header sweep since the first two days of the season in early February. UIU defeated the Wildcats 7-0 in game one and 9-3 in game two to improve to 18-16 overall and 5-9 in the NSIC. Wayne State fell to 11-24 overall and 5-11 in the conference after the losses.
Julia Buffington and Jordyn Brennan led the offense with four hits apiece, while Shannon Nix and Katie Crogan each added three hits in the two games. Buffington drove in four runs, while Brennan scored four times followed by Buffington and Crogan, who each scored three times. Emily Kisch threw a complete game shutout in game one and then earned a save in game two recording 10 strikeouts in her 8.1 innings of work. Jaclyn Thompson earned the win in game two in relief of Sydney Wilcox, who started and went the first three innings without allowing a run.
Upper Iowa is headed to North Dakota this weekend for a pair of Northern Sun Conference double headers. The Peacocks will take on the University of Mary on Saturday at 1 p.m. and Minot State University on Sunday at 3 p.m.
Game One: Upper Iowa 7 – Wayne State 0
The Peacocks jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead in the first inning after racking up five hits and a pair of walks. Upper Iowa sent 11 players to the plate in the inning and left the bases loaded on a strikeout. Payton Kastenschmidt drove in two more runs in the fourth inning with a single giving the home team their 7-0 lead.
Kisch was electric in the circle. The sophomore recorded complete game shutout with 7 innings of work allowing just two runs and a walk, while striking out eight Wildcats. With the win, Kisch improved to 9-6 on the season and lowered here ERA to 3.54.
Game Two: Upper Iowa 9 – Wayne State 3
UIU scored the game’s first run in the third inning after Erin Drahozal opened the frame with a walk. An error on the infield allowed the inning to continue and a fielder’s choice for the second out put runners on the corners with two outs. The Peacocks forced a rundown between first and second and Drahozal broke for home making it safely before Wayne State could get the out near second base.
The Peacocks added two more in the fourth inning thanks to two more Wildcat errors. UIU got one more run in the fifth inning when Brennan doubled down the left field line and later scored on a wild pitch with two outs.
After Wayne State scored three runs in the top of the sixth and put the tying run on second base with two outs, the Peacocks turned to Kisch to close the door. The right hander got her ninth strikeout of the day to end the threat and preserve UIU’s one-run lead, 4-3.
The Peacocks answered the Wildcat rally with an explosive five run inning in the bottom of the sixth. The outburst was highlighted by a homerun off the scoreboard in left field by Buffington to score three runs and put a cap on the big inning. Kisch closed the game out in the ninth and earned the save with a called strike three; her tenth strikeout in 8.1 innings of work between the two games.
Sydney Wilcox started and threw three innings allowing just one hit, but did hand out three walks. Jaclyn Thompson got the win to improve to 6-7 after throwing 2.2 innings and giving up the three runs on 2 hits and a pair of hit batsmen.