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This Week in Peacock Baseball...
The Peacocks had a tough week that saw them drop from sixth to ninth in the standings after six losses. UIU was swept by Wayne State on Thursday including an extra inning loss, 8-5. Upper Iowa nearly stole game one against Minnesota State, but dropped the game in extra innings 9-8, and then lost another heartbreaker in the second game of the series 4-3 as the winning run came across for the Mavericks as the Peacocks tried to turn two and end the threat. MSU’s pitchers held the UIU batters in check in the final two games as Minnesota State won 12-2 and 3-0.
Matt Smoley broke through at the plate last week with 7 hits in 19 at bats for a .368 average with a pair of doubles. Rudy Casillas also hit well posting a .318 average with 7 hits in 22 at bats and added a pair of stolen bases. Will Loza hit .429 in three games behind the plate with three hits, an rbi and a run scored. The Peacock pitching staff got roughed up as well posting a 9.54 ERA. Eric Anderson (7.2 Innings, 3 runs, 5 hits) and Josh McKeon (6.2 Innings, 4 runs (3 earned), 6 hits, 5 K) were effective for Upper Iowa, but they were outdone by their Maverick counterparts over the weekend. Brett Westra also threw well earning a no-decision in the extra inning loss to Wayne State allowing just 3 earned runs in his 5.2 innings.
The Peacocks will have an uphill climb to reach the NSIC Tournament, but with 10 NSIC games left UIU is up to the challenge. The Peacocks will face the Hawks of Quincy in non-conference action this Wednesday before hosting the University of Mary in their final home games of the 2011 season this Saturday and Sunday. Prior to last week’s losses, Upper Iowa had cracked into the top 10 in the latest NCBWA Central Region. They received one vote in this week’s poll.
Scouting the Hawks
The Hawks have won 18 of their last 22 games including a pair of victories over the Peacocks on March 30, 12-3 and 3-0. Quincy is 18-8 in GLVC games and sits in first place in the West Division.
Peacocks and Hawks ... The First Meeting
Upper Iowa was swept in a pair of non-conference games at Quincy University this afternoon. The Hawks used their bats in game one to win 12-3 and then followed it with a 3-0 win on the back of a great effort from their starting pitcher.
Game One Recap
The Hawks jumped out to an early 11-0 lead after just two innings thanks to 9 hits a pair of walks and a pair of Peacock errors. The big hits came in the form of three doubles and a solo homerun. Upper Iowa scored three runs in the top of the fifth inning, but it was the only inning that UIU marked the scoreboard. Quincy pushed their final run of the 12-3 run across in the bottom of the fifth.
Quincy only outhit Upper Iowa by two, 10-8, but four extra base hits by the Hawks compared to just one for the Peacocks made a big difference.
Matt Corbitt was the lone Peacock with multiple hits in the game, while Matt Smoley had the only extra base hit with a double in the first inning.
Game Two Recap
Quincy took game two, 3-0, after scoring the game’s first run in the fourth inning and adding two more in the sixth.
Upper Iowa and starter Eric Anderson held Quincy to just four hits in the game, but UIU only managed two hits against the Hawks.
The Peacocks did make it interesting in the seventh with two outs when Patrick Arntson singled up the middle and Brett Cleveringa walked to bring the tying run to the plate. The rally and the game ended with a fielder’s choice.
Anderson threw six innings and allowed three runs, two of which were earned, on four hits while walking two and striking out seven batters. Mikey Henrichs had UIU’s only other hit in the second inning.
Scouting the Marauders
Tate Leapaldt hit an even .500 for the weekend. Posting six hits in 12 at bats at the University of Minnesota Duluth. The freshman outfielder, recently moved into the third spot in the lineup, scored four times, drove in three runs and added a double. Adrian Garcia hit a grand slam in the opener and added a double to finish 2-for-4 with five RBI in the Marauders lone win of the weekend. He hit .385 (5-of-13) and drove in seven runs over the four games.
Matt Medeiros spun a two-hitter and threw his first shutout of the season, an 8-0 win at Minnesota Duluth. He struck out struck out eight while also walking seven and hitting two batters. It was his fifth straight complete game. Freshman Jay Flaa threw his first collegiate complete game in a 4-3 loss at Minnesota Duluth. After allowing four runs in the first three innings, he tossed six straight scoreless innings to keep U-Mary in the contest. Flaa faced just 16 hitters over the final five innings. He struck out eight and allowed seven hits and three walks.
Looking Ahead
Upper Iowa will wrap up their 2011 regular season next week with six games on the road including a double header at St. Cloud State and a four-game series with Northern State in Aberdeen, S.D.
UIU’s match up with SCSU is slated for Tuesday in St. Cloud, Minn. at 4 p.m. The weekend series with the Wolves is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at noon.
