FAYETTE, Iowa – The Golden Bear softball team (12-8, 6-0 NSIC) kept their hot streak going with a doubleheader sweep over Upper Iowa (6-15, 2-6 NSIC). The Golden Bears had to battle in game one, as they crawled back from a three-run deficit to win 5-4. In game two the bats came alive as they took down the Peacocks 8-1 to win their sixth game in a row. 
 
CSP will continue their road games heading into the weekend. They will head to South Dakota to play Augustana on Saturday afternoon for a doubleheader. They then will head to Nebraska to play Wayne State on Sunday for another doubleheader to round out the road trip. 
 
Aryka Knoche connected for her third home run of the season in game one. It was a big three-run homer which would give the Golden Bears a 5-3 lead over the Peacocks. Grace Beseman hit her team leading sixth home run and Amanda Parsons also hit a towering solo shot in game two for her third home run of the season. Knoche also went the distance in the circle in game two to earn her second victory of the season. 
 
GAME ONE: Concordia-St. Paul 5, Upper Iowa 4
After Abby McKay set down the Golden Bears in order in the top of the first inning, the Peacocks put the first two batters on with a hit and a walk, Bryanna Olson was able to get a strike out, but Payton Kastenschmidt stepped up and hit a three-run home run to give the Peacocks an early 3-0 lead over CSP.
 
After a quick second and third inning for both pitchers, Concordia was finally able to get onto the board in the top of the fourth inning. Clara Heislen led off with a double off of the center field wall. McKay was able to strikeout McIntyre and get Beseman to pop out to third base. It looked like she was about to strand Heislen at second when Aryka Knoche reached on a throwing error by the shortstop, which allowed Heislen to score and make it a 3-1 ball game. 
 
The Golden Bears were able to plate another run in the top of the fifth inning. Jacey Defries knocked a one out double to right center field, Taylor Griffin would single to left field, scoring Defries and making it a 3-2 game, chipping away at the Peacocks lead. 
 
CSP would take the lead in the sixth inning, Clara Heislen led off with a single down the left field line. After a fly out, Grace Beseman singled down the left field line, advancing Heislen to second base. Aryka Knoche had a chance to tie the game but she decided to do a little bit more with a huge three-run home run to left field to give Concordia a 5-3 lead. 
 
The Peacocks looked to get back into it in the bottom of the seventh inning and it was looking good for them when their leadoff batter got on after an error on the Golden Bears. Kali Kaestner relieved Olson and was looking to shut the door. She got back-to-back strikeouts to start her outing before Katie Crogan smoked an RBI double off the top of the right-center field wall to make it a 5-4 game. Kaestner was able to set down the next batter on a strikeout and lock down the 5-4 CSP win. 
 
Bryanna Olson went six innings, allowing three runs on five hits and struck out a career high 11 batters. She moves to 5-4 on the season. Kali Kaestner went an inning allowing only one hit and struck out three batters while picking up her first save of the season. 
 
Clara Heislen led the Golden Bear offense going 2-4 with two runs scored. Taylor Griffin went 2-3 with an RBI. Aryka Knoche had a big day going 1-3 with a three-run home run, three RBI's, and a run scored. Grace Beseman went 1-3 with a run scored and Jacey Defries went 1-2 in the Golden Bear victory. 
 
GAME TWO: Concordia-St. Paul 8, Upper Iowa 1
It was the Golden Bears who struck first in game two. In the top of the second inning Amanda Parsons led off with a walk, Jacey Defries singled through the left side, advancing Parsons to second base. Taylor Griffin laid down a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt, advancing both the runners up a base. Then a passed ball allowed Parsons to score giving CSP an early 1-0 lead.
 
Concordia would add a few more runs a couple innings later. In the top of the third inning Kris McIntyre laid down a one out bunt single, then Grace Beseman snuck a ball over the right center field wall for a two-run home run, her sixth of the season, giving CSP a 3-0 lead over Upper Iowa. The Golden Bears were not done as a batter later Amanda Parsons hit a mammoth home run to right field, her third of the season, making it 4-0 Golden Bears early in game two.
 
An inning later the Golden Bears would add three more runs. Hanna Mortenson ripped a one out single, that was followed by a single through the right side by Ani Bell. Clara Heislen doubled to left center, scoring both Bell and Mortenson to make it 6-0. Kris McIntyre singled, sending Heislen to third and then Grace Beseman singled to right field, scoring Heislen and increasing Concordia's lead to 7-0. 
 
Concordia would tack on one more run in the top of the sixth inning. Kris McIntyre hit a one out double and Grace Beseman drove her in with a single to center field to make it 8-0. CSP tried to close it out in the bottom of the sixth inning but the Peacocks would extend the game a bit longer. Amanda Williams singled and then Katie Corgan reached on an error, Payton Kastenschmid reached on a fielder's choice as Corgan was out at second and Williams advanced to third. After a walk to load up the bases, Sadie Carpenter reached on another error by the Golden Bears, scoring Williams and getting the Peacocks on the board to make it 8-1.

Aryka Knoche was able to get out of that jam as she finished off the game in the seventh inning to give the Golden Bears the 8-1 victory. She went seven innings, allowing only four hits and three walks while striking out six to earn the win, she is now 2-1 on the season.
 
Grace Beseman led the way for the offense in game two, going 3-3 with four RBI's, two runs scored and a stolen base. Kris McIntyre went 3-4 with two runs scored, Amanda Parsons went 1-2 with a walk, an RBI and two runs scored. Clara Heislen went 1-3 with two RBI's and a run scored, Jacey Defries went 1-4, Hanna Mortenson went 1-3 with a run scored, Annalise Scamehorn went 1-1 and Ani Bell went 1-4 with a run scored.