BISMARCK, N.D. - A late inning rally turned into the deciding factor of game one, followed by a first inning rally to seize all the momentum in game two, as the University of Mary Softball team dropped a pair of doubleheaders today to Upper Iowa University in the early afternoon.
 
The Marauders (8-24, 2-11 NSIC) held the lead midway through the first game over the Peacocks (25-12, 11-4 NSIC) before a seven-run sixth inning stole the game away at 11-2, and the visitors weren't done as they opened up the second half of the doubleheader with six runs in the top of the first en route to a 12-1 decision in game two for the day sweep.
 
GAME ONE
 
MeLanie Rodriguez was wheeling in dealing through the early portions of the first game, despite the Peacocks getting the first run of the game when Tara Duran doubled to center field to score Tara Walls from first base, but the junior from Coachella, Calif., limited Upper Iowa's looks with only two hits allowed through the first four innings of the game.
 
Taylor Mendez gave the Marauders a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth as she drove the 0-1 pitch from Jacqueline Flood over the left center field fence following Amber Gamboa's single back up the middle with one out, yet Flood quickly squelched any ideas of a U-Mary rally as she struck out the next batter and forced a fly ball to right field that ended the inning and kept the Peacocks close behind.
 
Upper Iowa confiscated all the momentum in the game during their at bat in the fifth inning as two Marauder miscues made no difference in the grand scheme of things compared to the two home runs. Katie Sammons got the rally started with a lead off double, followed by Sammy Garrett's bunt single to put runners at the corners.
 
Riley Cruel started the avalanche of runs as she singled to left field and ended up at third after a misplay from the fielder allowed two runs to cross the plate. Sami Kay Shafranski followed up with a walk, stole second, and advanced to third on a throwing error back into the plate trying to retire Kruel on the double steal.
 
Flood was hit by a pitch during her at bat, adding insult to injury, but Rodriguez settled back into a rhythm with her strikeout of Erica Kirgan to keep the score at 4-2.
 
The critical moment in the inning came on Walls' fly ball to shallow left field with Shafranski at third as Alexandra McDermott caught the ball with the runner tagging up. Shafranski put the immediate brakes on her attempt to score but didn't draw a throw back into the base as the ball was tossed over to Kylie Alto at shortstop. The freshman was keen enough to go for the out attempt as she hurled the ball over to Demaree Rodriguez covering third base, however the throw was not in time and instead of a double play to end the inning U-Mary recorded only one out with runners at second and third.
 
The Marauders paid for their miscommunication as Duran took the first pitch she saw from MeLanie Rodriguez over the left field fence for a three-run shot and a 7-2 lead. Lauren Marlinghaus followed suit with her solo shot down the left field line for an 8-2 lead and Rodriguez finally brought the inning to a halt with a groundout from Sammons to put a stop to the bleeding.
 
Unfortunately the damage was done as Flood proved her 2015 First Team All-NSIC selection as she held the Marauders to one hit through the remainder of the game and the Peacocks got some insurance runs in the top of the seventh on an RBI single from Jenny Budds for one and an error from during Julia Buffington's at bat for two more, to set the score at the eventual 11-2 final.
 
MeLanie Rodriguez took the loss in the game with five innings of work, gave up seven hits and struck out four, while Brieann Backes pitched two innings of relief with three hits allowed to go with two strikeouts.
 
U-Mary managed only three hits in the contest, two during the fourth inning when they scored their only runs, as Amber Gamboa recorded the single, Taylor Mendez notched her seventh home run of the year, and Alana Norman recorded a single of her own.
 
GAME TWO
 
The Peacocks picked up right where they left off starting in the first inning on the backend of the doubleheader as Flood doubled down the left field line to score Kruel and ended up scoring on a wild pitch later in the inning, Sammons drew a bases loaded walk and Garrett cleared the bases with one swing of the bat on a double to right center for three runs for an early 6-0 Upper Iowa lead going into the bottom half of the inning.
 
U-Mary got one of the runs back during their first at bat thanks to Gamboa's double to left center to score Norman, who led off with an infield single to third base, but little did the Marauders know that was the only run they were allocated for the second game of the day.
 
Brooke Redmond got the start for the Peacocks in game two and scattered three hits over four innings of work, while their offense added three more runs in the third inning on an error during Kruel's at bat, followed by a bunt single from Shafranski to score one more; and the final runs of the game came from Flood's three-run home run to left field to set the score at 12-1 and invoking a shortened game as the Marauders were held scoreless in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Taylor Lara took the loss in the circle for U-Mary as she went all five innings in the game, striking out one, while Gamboa, Norman, Demaree Rodriguez, and Keegan Wickman each recorded a hit in the contest.
 
The Marauders will finish out the weekend tomorrow afternoon as they take on Winona State University in a doubleheader starting at 12 PM CDT.
 
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