The Peacocks took the field in Aberdeen, S.D. today for the first two games of their final regular season games of 2011. Upper Iowa won both games versus Northern State today, 4-1 and 11-1, to improve to 16-18 in NSIC play and keep a sliver of hope alive for their NSIC Tournament chances.
The Peacocks will need some help from St. Cloud State and Minnesota, Crookston with another pair of wins tomorrow against the Wolves to sneak into the final spot of the tournament.
In game one, Fabian Lopez (7-3) pitched a complete game to earn the victory scattering five hits over seven innings and allowing just an unearned run while striking out five Wolves.
At the plate, UIU put a pair of runs on the board in the fifth and two more in the sixth, while NSU’s lone run came in between. The Peacocks were held to just six hits; five of which came from the bottom half of the lineup.
Freshman Matt Corbitt led the way with a pair of hits including an rbi-single in the sixth inning. Corbitt scored later in the inning on an rbi-single to right by Taylor Brecht. The two runs in the fifth came when Nick Bergeman doubled to left scoring Will Loza and Luis Rodriguez.
In the second game, Josh McKeon climbed the hill for the Peacocks and dominated again. McKeon entered the game looking for 15 strikeouts to tie the team record for punchouts in a season held by Randy Donisthorpe (101). He struck out 13 Wolves in the game including six in the first three innings. McKeon now sits at 99 strikeouts for the season, which leads all NSIC pitchers this season.
With the win, he improves to 5-3 on the season after spreading out seven hits and seven walks over his nine innings of work. The complete game was his sixth of the season and his ERA now sits at a staggering 1.68 in his 80 innings of work.
On offense, the Peacocks scored two in the second, one in the third and three in the fourth to take a 6-0 lead into the middle innings. After the Wolves scored their lone run of the game in the eighth inning, Upper Iowa exploded for five runs in the top of the ninth to run away with the 11-1 victory.
Juve Reyes put the Peacocks on the board in the second with a two-run double to center scoring Mikey Henrichs and Corbitt. In the third, Henrichs plated Rudy Casillas with a bunt single. The three runs in the fourth came when Tyler Adams singled up the middle pushing Rodriguez and Reyes home and then tagged up from third later in the inning on a Pat Arntson sacrifice fly to rightfield.
In their final at bats of the day, the Peacocks scored five runs on five hits to put the game out of reach. The inning was highlighted by a Brecht rbi-single to center, a Kody McCauley double to left that drove in two runs, a Rory Kolo rbi-single up the middle and a Corbitt sac fly to left.
Adams had his best game at the plate as a Peacock today with four hits in five at bats; he drove in two runs and scored twice. Reyes also was solid at the plate with three hits in four at bats; he also had two rbi and two runs scored. Eight other Peacocks registered a hit in the second game.
Tomorrow’s double header with the Wolves begins at noon and will be the final regular season games of the 2011 season.
