Upper Iowa spent the first six innings of their season opener against Missouri Southern State in control with a 3-0 lead, but the Lions scored a pair of runs in the seventh and eighth innings to rally for the win and then posted a 6-0 shutout in the second game to take the double header at home. The second double header between the two teams has been cancelled due to weather forecasted for Joplin, Mo. tomorrow.
The Peacocks scratched the scoreboard first in the third inning.
Mitch Moser singled to left with one out and then came home when
Luis Ravelo knocked a long ball over the wall in right field. Ravelo had doubled to lead off the game in his at bat prior to the homerun. Upper Iowa added a run in the seventh when
Eric Cottrell doubled down the left field line. First baseman
Josh Blake singled to center and drove Cottrell across the plate.
Missouri Southern scored two unearned runs with two outs to pull within one run, 3-2. The Lions then took a 4-3 lead with another two runs on three hits. Once again, both runs in the eighth came with two outs in the inning.
In UIU's last chance in the ninth,
Alex George led off with a single to short and moved to third thanks to a sac bunt and a wild pitch. A successful pick off at first base by the Lions ended the game. At the plate, Ravelo and Cottrell both had two hits apiece.
Brett Fanning got the start, but had to leave early after being stuck by a batted ball on the leg. Fanning completed 1.1 innings before giving way to
Mason Buster. Buster threw 5.1 innings allowing 2 runs, both were unearned, on 4 hits while striking out 3 Lions.
Anthony Ruden suffered the loss as he threw the eighth inning and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits with a pair of strikeouts.
In the second game,
Garrison Becker made his first start for the Peacocks and suffered the loss despite allowing just one run. Becker threw 5 innings and scattered 3 hits while striking out a pair of batters.
Shimpei Sato took the brunt of the Lions. Without recording an out, four MSSU players crossed the plate on three hits and a pair of walks which put the Peacocks in a 5-0 hole in the sixth inning.
Zach Carstens threw 2 innings of relief without allowing a run before handing the ball off to
Cody Heiman, who threw one inning and allowed one run.
At the plate, UIU couldn't string their hits together as they finished with only two less than their opponents. George was the only Upper Iowa player with more than one hit in the second game.
With Sunday's games cancelled, the Peacocks will now turn their attention to their three-game series with the LeMoyne-Owen Magicians out of Memphis, Tenn. next Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 21-22.
