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The Upper Iowa softball team played their first games since coming back from Florida this past weekend at the Missouri Western Tourney that had been moved from St. Josephs, Missouri to Emporia, Kansas due to predicted bad weather. The Peacocks faced off against Emporia State, the #6 team in the nation, and the original host, Missouri Western, in their two games on Friday, the 23rd. The Peacocks left nine runners on base and fell to Emporia 7-0, but bounced back with a win over Missouri Western, 3-1, behind strong pitching from Nikki Davis.
Upper Iowa gave up a run in the first and third innings of the Emporia State game and trailed 2-0 heading into the fourth. The Peacocks had managed four hits through the first three innings but had not moved a runner past second base. Emporia scored two runs in the fourth to put the home team up four runs. Jena Kilburg doubled to left field in the fifth for her third hit of the game, but was stranded as the Peacocks could not drive her home. ESU scored three more runs in the bottom of the fifth and held on over the final two innings for a 7-0 win. Outside of Kilburg’s three hits, the visitors only managed a hit by Jessie Gress and Stefani Schulte. In the second game, the Peacocks faced the Griffons of Missouri Western. The Peacock bats were patient and worked the pitching count to earn nine walks in the game. UIU got on the board early as Gress walked to leadoff the game and stole second. She scored as Stephany Daubenspeck reached on an error by the Griffon pitcher. The Peacocks loaded the bases with two more walks and no one out, but stranded all three runners after a foul out and two runners were called out at home. Upper Iowa added two more runs in the third inning as Daubenspeck walked, Jena Kilburg was hit by a pitch, and Katie Kilburg walked to load the bases for the second time. Schulte earned a walk that forced home a run and kept the bases loaded with no outs. Jessica Cockerham was hit by a pitch to force home another run, but two strikeouts and a line out ending the promising inning for the Peacocks. Leading 3-0 as the teams moved to the bottom of the third, the Griffons scored a run to cut the Peacock lead to two. Nikki Davis hung tough and was able to get UIU out of the jam and pitched the final four innings giving up only four hits to Missouri Western. Davis (2-2) finished the complete game win scattering six hits while striking out one and walking three. Ashley Spooner rapped out two hits, while Daubenspeck and Jena Kilburg picked up a hit each. The UIU baseball team will return to action tomorrow, March 24, with a game against Pitt State and Central Missouri. Games are set for 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. |
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