Fayette, Iowa – Upper Iowa used a number of large innings on Sunday afternoon to sweep Golden Eagle softball in NSIC play, 15-8 and 13-5.
 
Minnesota Crookston falls to 12-23 (3-7 NSIC) on the season.
 
Game One
Upper Iowa would get off to a good start in the opening game, scoring the first four runs of the game, including a trio of runs in the third inning.
 
The Golden Eagles would cut the lead in half in the bottom of the fourth, highlighted by a Dana Zarn (Jr., UT, Winnipeg, Manitoba) RBI double, making it 4-2 in favor of UIU.
 
The Peacocks would score six runs in the sixth, but the Golden Eagles would make it a 10-6 game after the third home run of the season by Zarn, this time a three-run shot.
 
Upper Iowa would add five more in the top of the seventh. Alina Avalos (Jr., IF, Riverside, Calif.) and Shaelyn Grant (So., C/OF, Grand Junction, Colo.) would each single in a run in the bottom of the seventh, but it wouldn't be enough for the Golden Eagles, who would lose game one, 15-8.
 
Minnesota Crookston collected 10 hits in the game, led by Avalos' three and two each from Zarn, who also had four RBI and Grant.
 
Thayda Houser (So., P, Seymour, Iowa) falls to 5-6 on the season after giving up 11 runs on 12 hits, while striking out seven in 6.1 innings of work.
 
Game Two
The Golden Eagles would get off to a quick start in game two, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first on a Grant RBI double and a Jordan Peterson (R-Sr., UT, Lakeville, Minn.) RBI single.
 
UIU would answer with a run in the top of the second, but Zarn would continue her solid day at the plate with an RBI double to the right-center field gap, scoring Avalos.
 
UIU would answer with a pair of runs in the fourth and would take control of the game with a nine spot in the top of the fifth, to make it 13-3.
 
Alyssa Stillman (Jr., 2B/SS, Hortonville, Wis.) would hit her second home run of the season in the bottom of the fifth, a two-run shot, but it wouldn't be enough, as the Golden Eagles would fall, 13-5.
 
The Golden Eagles would collect ten team hits again, led by Zarn, Hannah Macias (Sr., OF, West Covina, Calif.) and Brittany Mengel (Fr., OF, Sullivan, Wis.), who each collected a pair of hits.
 
Evie Stuck (Fr., P/OF, Papillion, Neb.) picked up the loss, falling to 6-10 on the season after giving up 13 runs, just six of which were earned on 13 hits.
 
What's Next
It will be a quick turnaround for the Golden Eagles, who will head to St. Cloud, for a doubleheader with the Huskies of St. Cloud State on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 2 PM.