Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Upper Iowa sent their seniors off Robertson Field for the final time with a 6-3 victory in game two versus Winona State University on Friday afternoon. The Peacocks dropped game one, 6-3, after a five-run first for the Warriors, but used a four-run second inning in game two to snap a double digit slide. The win in game two snapped an 11-game losing streak where the average margin of loss was less than 2 runs (1.8) per game. UIU, who tallied 11 hits in each game, moves to 11-27 overall and 4-20 in the NSIC, while Winona State is now 21-20 overall and 18-11 in the conference after the split.
Game One The Warriors erupted for a quick five runs in the top of the first on six hits including a leadoff homerun on the first pitch by Ryan Nyhagen. Four Winona State batters picked up rbi's in the inning.
Winona State added a run in the second on a Nathan Krause single to left that scored Jesus Cazares for a 6-0 lead.
Upper Iowa cut into the lead with a run in the third inning.
Tyler Adams and
Cody Booker hit back-to-back singles for the second time in the game putting runners on the corners with one out.
Alex George lifted a fly ball to centerfield and picked up an rbi on the sac fly as Adams came home.
Adams and Booker paired up for their third back-to-back singles with one out in the fifth. After a fly out,
Jose Aguirre doubled to right center plating Adams and giving UIU two runners in scoring position. Jacob Stenberg walked to load the bases, but a grounder to short ended the threat and left the home team down four, 6-2.
Booker opened the seventh inning and reached base for the fourth time when he was hit by a pitch. George followed with a single to left center. A ground ball moved the runners into scoring position and a grounder to second by Stenberg plated Booker to pull UIU within three. After
John Dobson walked, UIU had runners on the corners but the rally ended on a fly to right field.
Fanning (1-3) suffered the loss after just one inning of work for UIU. The freshman righty allowed the five runs to open the game.
Charley Cunningham threw five innings of relief allowing just one run on three hits while striking out four Warriors.
Miguel Helguera threw a scoreless seventh inning out of UIU's bullpen.
Chase Blazier improved to 7-2 on the season with five innings of work. Scott Freiburger recorded the final out to earn his tenth save of the season.
At the plate, Adams and Booker each grabbed three singles, while Stenberg and Aguirre each registered a double.
Game Two Adams scored his third run of the day in the first inning of game two after reaching on his fourth single of the afternoon. UIU's centerfield advanced to second on a passed ball, to third on a ground out and came home on a wild pitch. George followed the run with a single to right and moved to third after a stolen base and ground out. The right fielder was stranded on third, but UIU got on top 1-0 heading to the second.
UIU added a second run after a two-out double by
Ryan Citro in the second.
Luis Ravelo singled up the middle to plate Citro. Adams continued the rally with a walk to put runners on first and second and Booker delivered with his fourth hit of the day. Booker doubled to right sending both runners across the plate. George drove in Booker with a single to right, but was thrown out trying to advance to second. The four runs on four hits pushed UIU's lead to 5-0.
Ryan Nyhagen doubled to the gap in left to drive in the Warriors first run in the top of the third and scored on an infield single by Tyler Nehring. The two runs pulled Winona State back within three, 5-2.
Upper Iowa loaded the bases with one out thanks to a single by Aguirre, a Warrior error and a walk in the sixth inning. After a shallow fly for the second out, Ravelo came through with a single to right sending Aguirre home before a strikeout ended the threat.
Leading 6-2 in the seventh, UIU loaded the bases with no outs after Booker and George both singled to open the inning. After an Aguirre walk, a ground ball to a drawn-in infield gave the Warriors a chance to come home. On the play, Booker was called for interference as he slid across the plate. The interference call sent the runners back to first and second and retired the batter. A strikeout ended the inning as UIU was unable to add to their lead.
A pair of singles around two strikeouts in the eighth allowed a run to score aided by a wild pitch. The rbi-single came off the bat of Mike Wasilik. The inning ended with
Martin Valdez's tenth strikeout of day including the second inning where he retired the side with strikeouts. The 10 strikeouts for Valdez were one short of his career-high which came on Apr. 20 last year versus Bemidji State University.
After a leadoff single chased UIU's senior southpaw in the ninth,
Anthony Ruden came in to notch his first save of the season and maintain UIU's three-run lead. Ruden recorded one strikeout and got the final out on a ground ball to second.
Valdez improved to 2-5 on the season with his fourth complete game allowing 10 hits, but only three runs in his eight innings.
Will Lundquist suffered his first loss of the season dropping to 5-1 with five innings of work allowing five runs on seven hits.
At the plate, George had three hits, while Booker, Aguirre and Ravelo each had two hits. Adams singled in his first at bat for four hits on the day bringing his career total to 213.
The Seniors Upper Iowa took time between games to recognize and honor nine seniors. They included Tyler Adams, Jose Aguirre, Ryan Citro, John Dobson, Tanner Funke, Matt Golden, Miguel Helguera, Martin Valdez and Nate Wymer. Each senior was presented with a framed collection of images from their playing days in Peacock blue and white.
Next Up The Peacocks and Warriors will resume their four-game series on Saturday in Winona, Minn. The games will close out the 2014 Northern Sun Conference slate. UIU has one game remaining on the schedule and will wrap up the season in Iowa City against the University of Iowa on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
