GAME 1 BOX | GAME 2 BOX

FAYETTE, Iowa – Upper Iowa used a three-run fourth inning to pick up a 5-1 victory in game two to pick up a split in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference softball doubleheader with Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday afternoon in Fayette, Iowa. SMSU won the opener 5-1.

SMSU falls to 17-15 on the season, 8-8 in the NSIC while Upper Iowa moves to 14-27, 6-8 in the conference.

In game one, SMSU tallied 11 hits, with Gigax leading the way with three, while Christine Borowiak was 2 for 3 at the plate and Chelsey Evans was 2 for 4. Evans, who won her ninth decision of the season in the circle, made her first appearance in the batter's box at SMSU. Before transferring to SMSU Evans had one hit in 21 at bats at South Dakota State.

Borowiak led off the first inning with a sharp single to center field. Borowiak then stole her team-leading 12th base of the season before coming around to score on the two-run blast by Gigax giving SMSU a 2-0 lead.

Gigax pushed SMSU's lead to 3-0 in the top of the second inning with a single through the left side of the infield to score Katelyn Kalkman who pinch ran for Sam Goblirsch. Goblirsch delivered a one-out single down the left field line.

Upper Iowa scored its only run of the game in the bottom half of the second inning when Tara Duran reached on a fielder's choice to score Rachael Anello who led off the inning with a triple down the right field line.

SMSU pushed its lead to 4-1 in the top of the fourth inning when Gigax once again delivered an RBI single up the middle to score Evans who singled to lead off the inning. Krista Steen then sent a double to left field to push SMSU's lead to 5-1.

Rachel Groff came in to pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning with a four-run lead to earn her first save of the season. The Peacocks did not go away quietly coming up with back-to-back two-out hits after a walk to load the bases. Groff got the final out of a game on a fly out to right field to end the game.

In game two, Upper Iowa's Tara Duran delivered a three-RBI double in the bottom of the fourth inning to put the Peacocks in front 3-1.

Upper Iowa opened the scoring in the game when Kylee Knop hit an RBI single down the right field line to score Whitney Williams who led off the inning with a walk. SMSU's Amy Dreessen tied the game at one belting her first home run of the season over the right field fence to lead off the second inning.

That would be the only run the Mustangs would score, being limited to just five hits in the game. Rachel Hoeppner fell to 6-9 on the season in the loss allowing all five runs, four earned in six innings of work. The Peacocks added an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth inning to make the score 5-1.

SMSU returns to action on Wednesday, April 11, hosting St. Cloud State in a doubleheader at Mustang Field beginning at 1 p.m.