March 25, 2009
Game One Stats
Game Two Stats
The Peacock baseball team took the diamond at Robertson Woods Field for their first home games today against the Flyers of Lewis University. Upper Iowa dropped both contests in the late innings of both games. The Peacocks led 9-7 entering the seventh inning, but lost the opening game 14-13. Upper Iowa and Lewis were tied 2-2 after seven innings in game two, but the Flyers pushed three runs across in extra innings to pull out the victory and the sweep. After the loss, Upper Iowa falls to 5-9 on the season, while Lewis improves to 10-9.
In game one, Lewis put the first run of the day on the board in their opening at bats, but Upper Iowa took full advantage of two hit batsmen to begin their at bat and scored four runs. Tom Longoni and Lucas Wilsing each plated two Peacocks in the first with a single up the middle and a double to the gap in right center. Lewis took a 6-4 lead into the fifth after scoring two in the third and three more runs in the fourth inning.
The Peacock bats were very loud in the bottom of the fifth when the team exploded for five runs without recording an out. Wilsing opened the inning with a homerun to right center. Brock Spangenberg doubled in two Peacocks to reclaim the lead for UIU, 7-6. Erik Sorensen stepped in after Spangenberg and hit a two-run homer over the left centerfield wall to extend UIU's lead to 9-6. Lewis scraped out a run in the sixth inning to cut the lead to 9-7.
The Flyers still trailed the Peacocks by two with two outs and the bases loaded in the top half of the seventh when Cameron Anello singled up the middle and chased two teammates across the plate to tie the game. The Flyers added five more runs in the inning thanks in large part to a wild pitch and a three-run error. Trailing 14-9, Upper Iowa made a valiant run at a rally scoring four runs in the bottom of the seventh, but the Peacocks came up one run shy in the loss. Longoni hit a three-run homerun to right field with no outs and Ronnie Kurihara homered down the left field line to add another run with two outs, but UIU didn't have enough magic in the bag to complete the comeback.
In game two, both teams got great efforts from their starters. UIU's Ronnie Sweeney threw a strong six innings, while Charlie Gillie threw well for seven innings for the Lewis; both pitchers got a no-decision for the game as the action moved into extra innings tied at 2-2.
The Peacocks scored their two runs on solo homeruns by Brad Hasenkamp and T.J. Johnson in the fifth and sixth innings respectively. Between the two solo jacks, Lewis scored two runs on a sacrifice fly and a double in the top of the sixth. The Peacocks had plenty of chances to pick up the winning run, but couldn't come up with the big hit in game two. Lewis scored three unearned runs in the top of the ninth to claim the victory. Ryan Koerner hit a deep shot over the wall in left field to score three, but an error in the middle of the inning allowed Koerner an opportunity at the plate. The homerun was his second of the day and third of the season.
At the plate, Longoni led the way for UIU with 5 hits in 9 at bats. The junior's hits included 4 singles and a homerun; he picked up 5 rbi and scored 2 runs. Johnson recorded 4 hits in 8 at bats including a homerun as well. Lucas Wilsing had 3 hits on the day and drove in 3 Peacocks. Spangenberg, Sorensen, and Albright all had two hits on the afternoon.
On the mound, Brad Mey started the first game and allowed 6 runs, 5 of which were earned, on 9 hits in 3.2 innings while striking out 5 Flyers. Chris Wlezien took the loss in game one after allowing 7 runs, 4 earned, in three innings of work. Sweeney's start in game two saw the right hander throw 6 innings and allowing 2 runs on 5 hits while striking out 5. Brandon Hall took the loss in game two after hurling for 3.1 innings and giving up the three unearned runs in the ninth.
In the end, the Peacocks out hit the Flyers by one, 22-21, and held a 6-2 advantage in homeruns, but 7 errors and 8 unearned runs in the two games proved to be too much for the home team to overcome.
This coming weekend, Mar. 28-29, Upper Iowa will travel to Mankato, Minnesota to face the Mavericks of Minnesota State in the Peacocks' NSIC openers. The Mavericks and Peacocks will play a pair of double headers beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday and 12 p.m. on Sunday. Look to UpperIowaAthletics.com for all the information on live gameday options for the weekend.
