Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The Dragons of Tiffin University swept a pair of non-conference games at the Winning Inning Clearwater Invitational over the Peacocks.  Upper Iowa had their chances in game one, before the bats of Tiffin took advantage of UIU control problems on the mound in game two.  With the losses, Upper Iowa falls to 6-5 on the year.  The Peacocks will close out their time in Florida tomorrow, Mar. 15, with a pair of nine-inning games.  Upper Iowa will face Mansfield and Minnesota, Crookston before hopping back on the bus and heading back north to Fayette this weekend.
 
Game One Recap
 
The Dragons put the first mark on the scoreboard in the third inning.  After putting runners on the corners with no outs, Tiffin’s Ryan Locke hit a sacrifice fly to center scoring Colin Sallee.  TU added a second run in the fourth when Tayler Glass singled up the middle to drive in Ryan Williams for the 2-0 lead.
 
Upper Iowa rallied with two outs in the top of the sixth.  Mikey Henrichs sparked the comeback with a single to right center and moved to second when Andrew Kraus walked. Jose Aguirre plated Henrichs with a single up the middle and John Dobson loaded the bases with an infield single to the shortstop.  Ryan Citro stepped in and delivered a single through the left side scoring Kraus, but Aguirre was thrown out trying to score from second to end the inning.  Four singles, along with a walk, fueled UIU’s two runs and tied the game.
 
Kraus doubled with two outs in the eighth but was stranded as the game moved to the bottom of the inning.  Tiffin’s Locke singled to center to open the inning and moved to second on a sac bunt.  After a walk, Williams singled to left and Anthony Dodds, a pinch runner, raced home ahead of the throw for the winning run.
 
Dan Cwertniak took the loss for the Peacocks despite throwing 7.1 innings, scattering 10 hits and striking out three Dragons.  The three runs allowed by the UIU hurler were all earned. 
 
The Dragon starter, Brent Faber, took a no-decision after six innings on the hill allowing two earned runs on six hits.  Cody Dunn earned the win with two innings of work; he only gave up one hit to the Peacocks.
 
At the plate, UIU’s seven hits were split between seven different Peacocks; Kraus recorded the sole extra base hit.
 
Game Two Recap
 
The Dragons scratched the scoreboard first again in game two.  Cole McMurray led the game off with a single and came home on a two-out double by Nick Hueneburg.
 
Upper Iowa answered with a run in the bottom of the second as Jimmy Pinakidis walked with one out and stole second to move into scoring position.  Cody Heiman hit a sharp single down the line in left and UIU’s freshman from Arlington Heights, Ill. motored home to knot the score at 1-1.
 
Tiffin chased Peacock starter Nick Tuttle in the fourth inning.  Tuttle left after allowing three runs on two hits; control plagued UIU’s pitcher as he walked one, hit two batters and threw a wild pitch in the inning.  Jordan Stum, Sallee and Locke all registered rbi’s, but Hueneburg had the big hit with a triple that scored two off reliever Daniel Riggs.  The Dragons led 6-1 as the game moved to the bottom of the fourth.
 
The margin moved out of reach in the top of the fifth when Tiffin scored six runs on five hits and a Peacock error to push ahead 12-1.  The Dragons added two more runs in the seventh on three hits highlighted by a run-scoring double off the bat of Hartley.
 
The Peacocks scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh setting the final score at 14-4.  Tyler Adams and Sam Kortes earned runs batted in with a pair of ground outs, while Henrichs knocked a single into right to plate the final run for Upper Iowa.
 
Tuttle took the loss for UIU allowing 6 runs on 7 hits in 3.2 innings, while Riggs allowed 6 runs on 4 hits in .2 innings.  Jacob Stenberg closed out the game with 2.2 innings surrendering 2 runs on 5 hits.
 
Kortes recorded two of the Peacocks’ five hits in the second game.