May 9, 2008
Box Score
The Upper Iowa baseball team continued their run in the Northern Sun Conference Tournament this morning against Winona State in Wayne, Nebraska. The Peacocks entered the tourney as the #2 seed, but were upset by Bemidji State in the first game of the NSIC Tournament by a 5-2 count. Upper Iowa trailed 3-1 heading to the third inning, but put three runs on the board in the top of the third. The Peacocks did not trail the rest of the game, but were tied with the Warriors on two occasions. UIU took the lead for the final time in the top of the ninth when they scored three runs to break a 6-6 tie and win the first elimination game 9-6.
The Peacocks scored a run in the first inning when Kreston Albright was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a sac bunt from Jarrod Esquibel. Nick Fjelland then stepped up and knocked in Albright with a double down the right field line. The Warriors were quick to erase the run in the bottom of the inning with a single to center that scored one.
UIU loaded the bases with two outs in the second but were unable to push any runners across the plate. WSU continued on the offensive in the second when they scored two more runs on three hits to take a 3-1 lead.
Fjelland led off the third inning with a homer to left field and pulled the Peacocks to within one run, 3-2. After a Brock Spangenberg double, Tom Longoni singled through the left side to score Spangenberg and tie the game. Longoni advanced to third on an error and scored on a Travis Mather single to left.
Winona State tied the game in the first at bat of their third with a solo shot to left center. After two more Warriors reached base, starter Greg Sieck was relieved by Brad Mey, who came in and shut down the Warrior offense.
The Peacocks picked up a run in the fourth to break the tie on a single by Spangenberg that scored Esquibel, who reached on a double. The run gave UIU a 5-4 lead. The score remained the same until the top of the seventh when Upper Iowa padded their lead with another run. Seth Fox opened the inning with a single and advanced to second on a Mather-sac bunt. After a wild pitch allowed Fox to move to third, Ronnie Kurihara came through with a single up the middle to plate the Peacock runner. Winona State erased the two run lead in the bottom of the eighth inning as they scored a pair of runs on three hits.
The game moved to the ninth inning tied at 6-6, but the Peacocks dug deep and hit the ball hard in the inning. With one out, Fox singled through the right side and moved to second on Mather's single to center. Kurihara, in an attempt to advance the runners with a sac bunt, was given a single on a bunt back to the pitcher and Upper Iowa had the bases loaded with one out.
Albright broke the tie with a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Fox. Esquibel then came to the plate and doubled to right center field to drive in two more runs and give Upper Iowa a 9-6 lead. The Warriors got one hit in their half of the ninth, but Mey did not allow the team to score as he picked up the win in relief.
On the mound, Sieck allowed six hits over two innings and gave up four runs, three of which were earned. Mey (2-3) was outstanding as he gave up just two runs in seven innings on five hits. The southpaw struck out four while not walking any batters. At the plate, Esquibel led the Peacocks with three hits including two doubles. The left fielder also had two rbi and scored a run. Fjelland's two hits included a homerun and a double, his 25th of the season. Spangenberg, Longoni, Mather, and Kurihara all had two hits as well.
After the win, Upper Iowa will play at 1 p.m. tomorrow against the loser of the game between the Golden Bears of Concordia-St. Paul and the Beavers of Bemidji State. Tomorrow's game will be an elimination game as well. If the Peacocks are victorious in that contest, they would play again immediately following the game against the loser of the final game in the winner's bracket.
