The Peacock baseball team returned to .500 on the season (5-5) thanks to a sweep over the Fighting Scots of Ohio Valley University. Upper Iowa held on for a 5-4 win in game one before coming from behind in game two to tie the game in the seventh and then explode for six runs in the eighth inning to win 13-8.
Tyus Adkins picked up his first collegiate victory thanks to 6.1 innings on the bump for Upper Iowa. Adkins allowed four runs, three were earned, on nine hits while striking out a pair of Scots. Three of the runs came in the seventh inning, but UIU was able to close the door behind the pitching of closer
Ross Kulick. Kulick got a pair of ground outs to end the top of the seventh and earn his fourth save of the season; all have come this week in Florida.
Ohio Valley was the first team to score in the third inning, but Upper Iowa quickly tied the game when a sac fly from
Luis Ravelo chased
Colton Janssen home.
The Peacocks kept the scoring going in the fourth with three runs on four hits highlighted by a
Drew Woods rbi-single, a Janssen rbi-double and an rbi-ground out off the bat of Jacob Stenberg.
UIU added the eventual insurance run in the sixth when Ravelo walked in a run. The damage could have been more, but the Peacocks stranded three runners on the basepaths.
Ohio Valley took their run in the top of the seventh, but Kulick and the defense shut the door and earned the victory in game one.
In the second game, the Peacocks jumped out to a 5-0 lead through two and a half innings thanks to a two-run triple in the first by
Alex George and three rbi-singles in the third inning off the bats of George,
Eric Cottrell and
Adam Budron.
After OVU scored a run in the third inning, the Peacocks answered with one of their own in the fourth on a pair of hits including a leadoff single by Janssen. The run came across after a pair of pitches got away and allowed the UIU third baseman to score.
The Fighting Scots bounced back with two runs on three hits in the fourth inning and four more runs on three hits and a Peacock miscue in the fifth to take a 7-6 lead.
Upper Iowa entered the seventh still trailing by one, but George opened the inning by reaching base thanks to an OVU error. After a walk by Cottrell and a sac bunt by Budron, the Peacocks had a pair of runners in scoring position with one out.
Jordan Kearns came up with the rbi-ground out to tie the score.
After a pair of hits to open the bottom of the seventh, Coach
Mark Danker turned to Kulick to end the threat and preserve the tie. An intentional walk loaded the bases, but Kulick induced a pair of flyouts to end the inning and send the game into extra innings.
In the top of the eighth, Upper Iowa exploded for six runs on six hits including a pair of two-run singles by Budron and Stenberg and rbi-singles from Kearns and
Justin Carlyle. UIU still left three runners on the bases or the damage could have been even greater.
OVU scored one run in the eighth, but the Peacocks claimed the extra inning win 13-8.
Kulick earned the win with two innings of work allowing just one run on two hits.
Dan Cwiertniak threw an inning of scoreless relief, while
Blake Seehusen and
Matt Banks also made appearances in relief of starter
Mitch Moser. Moser went 3.2 innings surrendering three runs on five hits while striking out two.
At the plate, UIU racked up 16 hits including three from George and Stenberg, while Cottrell, Budron and Carlyle each had two hits apiece. Budron and George each had three rbi's, while Stenberg and Kearns each drove in two runs.
The team will have just one game tomorrow at 10 a.m. The Peacocks will line up against the Dragons of Tiffin University for the nine-inning affair; the match up is the third meeting of the teams this week.
