Softball Drops Pair of NSIC Games To Upper Iowa

Sunday, April 3

St. Cloud, Minn.

1:00 p.m.

St. Cloud State

20-16, 6-5

Upper Iowa University

21-10, 7-2

Upper Iowa

St. Cloud State

Alyssa Coletto

Photo by: Tom Nelson

4/3/2016 5:56:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

SCSU Falls in First Game 6-1 and Downed In Second Game 8-0

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – St. Cloud State's softball team (20-17, 6-6 NSIC) dropped both games of its conference doubleheader to Upper Iowa (22-10, 8-2 NSIC) by scores of 6-1 and 8-0 on Sunday, April 3, at Selke Field.

Freshman Kate Kopeck (5-2) got the start and was tagged with the loss in the opener in allowing four runs in 2.2 innings in the circle. Junior Megan Hedstrom threw the final 4.1 for the Huskies and allowed two runs (none earned) in her outing. Jacqueline Flood threw the complete game for UIU with four hits and one unearned run allowed. She also struck out seven.

The Peacocks used the long ball to take an early 2-0 lead in the second inning as Tara Duran and Sammy Garrett both hit solo home runs.

Upper Iowa again used the home run ball to continued to add on to the lead in the third inning. Riley Kruel started the rally with a single, moved to second on a bunt and was aboard on Flood's fifth home run of the season.

The Peacocks scored two more runs in the fifth inning with Tara Walls driving in a tally with her ground out and Tara Duran plating a run with her RBI single.

SCSU had a chance to score in the sixth inning. Juniors Alyssa Coletto and Jessica Goerger walked and senior Tricia DeBoer was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but a ground out ended the potential threat.

The Huskies finally did break through for a tally in the bottom of the seventh to avoid the shutout. Freshman Mikayla Hansen reached base to start the frame on a fielding error, moved to second on a walk and then third on a single by junior Abby Bunnell. Hansen scored the team's run on a Coletto fielder's choice ground out.

In the second game, Upper Iowa's Kruel stole home as part of a double steal to give the Peacocks a 1-0 lead in the third inning.

The Peacocks, as they had done in the first game, added on with more four runs in the fourth inning as Kruel and Flood each had hits that drove in a pair of runs

Upper Iowa completed their scoring in the fifth inning on the three-run home run from Garrett.

The Huskies picked up their first hit of the game in the fifth inning with senior Taige Puetz pushing a single up the middle. Fellow senior Megan Larkin reached on an infield single to third. Junior Libby Bingham then drew a walk to load the bases, but the next two Huskies' were retired in order to make the final score 8-0.

Senior Senna Francesconi (9-6) allowed eight runs in 4.2 innings with five walks and three strikeouts to take the loss. Redshirt freshman Kadee Vesledahl made her first career appearance in relief and had a scoreless one-third of inning. Brooke Redmond allowed just two hits and two walks with four strikeouts in throwing a five inning shutout for Upper Iowa.

St. Cloud State returns to action with six games on the road next week. The team starts the week and faces off against Minnesota Crookston on Tuesday, April 6, for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. in Crookston, Minn.