Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The Peacock baseball team swept a pair of games from the Golden Eagles of the University of Minnesota Crookston in Fayette on Sunday.  The wins returned Upper Iowa to .500 overall with a 10-10 record while their Northern Sun record improved to 3-5 after they took the weekend series 3-1.
 
Adam Budron tallied a team-high four hits on the day including a double, while Colton Janssen, Eric Cottrell, Alex George and Jacob Greco all recorded three hits.  UIU had six doubles in the two games with Cottrell picking up two of them.  Greco had a team-high four rbi's, while Luis Ravelo was close behind with three; both hitters knocked homeruns out of the park. 
 
The Peacock pitching staff only allowed six earned runs while combining to strike out 12 Golden Eagles in their 16 innings of work.
 
Upper Iowa will host the Bulldogs of the University of Minnesota Duluth in a non-conference double header at Robertson Woods Field in Fayette on Tuesday to close out a 10-game home stand.
 
G1: Upper Iowa 9 – Minnesota Crookston 5
 
The teams exchanged runs in the first inning of game one with Upper Iowa picking their score up thanks to a throwing error on the Golden Eagle infield.  UMC used a pair of hits to add another run in the top of the second, but the home team answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 5-2 lead.
 
The first Peacock run in the second scored on a second infield throwing error by the visitors, but UIU wasn't finished.  A hit batsmen and walk after the error loaded the bases with one out.  Mitch Moser plated one run with a sac fly to centerfield and then Jacob Greco doubled to left for UIU's first hit of the game to drive in two more runs.
 
Upper Iowa broke the game open in the bottom of the third with another four runs to move out to a 9-2 lead. With one out, Jacob Stenberg was hit by a pitch and moved to third on a single by Adam Budron.  Colton Janssen chased Stenberg across the plate with a double to right field and then Luis Ravelo rocked a three-run homer over the wall in left field with two outs.
 
Minnesota Crookston got one run back in the fourth inning when they registered three hits including a leadoff double by Kenny Perez.  Perez got things going for the Golden Eagles in the top of the sixth when he singled to open the frame. After a hit batsmen and walk, UMC had the bases loaded, but UIU starter Charley Cunningham began to work out of the jam getting a pair of infield flies.  The visitors wouldn't be denied though scoring a run on an infield single and one on a single to center.  After their lead was slimmed to 9-5, the Peacocks called on Dan Cwiertniak to stop the bleeding.  The senior right hander got a called strike three to close out the inning. 
 
Cwiertniak and Ross Kulick worked through the ninth inning to hold their guests off the scoreboard despite the bases filling up with Golden Eagles.  Kulick entered with one out and runners on first and second and after getting the second out of the inning faced a bases loaded situation himself.  Kulick delivered the win with a called strike three.
 
Cunningham improved to 2-1 with the victory after throwing 5.2 innings and allowing five runs, four earned, on four hits.  Cwiertniak and Kulick both recorded a pair of outs to close out the game.  Trevor Buttermore suffered the loss (0-5) after throwing 2.2 innings; he allowed nine runs, five of which were unearned, on just four hits.
 
G2: Upper Iowa 8 – Minnesota Crookston 6
 
Upper Iowa scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the first in game two thanks to a three straight hits with two outs.  Greco got it started with a single and moved to third on an Alex George single.  Greco and George both came home on a double over the right fielder's head by Eric Cottrell.
 
The Golden Eagles rallied to take a 3-2 lead in the top of the second inning with three unearned runs as two Peacock errors allowed the runs to cross the plate with two outs in the frame.  Dalton Parks picked up a pair of rbi's in the inning with a single down the left field line.
 
In the bottom of the inning, the Peacocks tied the game with an unearned run of their own.  Janssen, who singled with one out, moved to second when a Peacock batter was hit.  Janssen came home when the Golden Eagles third baseman couldn't handle a grounder that would have ended the inning.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, the Peacocks scored another unearned run as a throwing error from UMC's hot corner allowed Janssen to once again come across the plate giving the home team a 4-3 lead.
 
Minnesota Crookston scored two runs to retake a 5-4 lead in the top of the fifth inning.   A hit batsmen, intentional walk and three singles chased the Peacock starter Garrison Becker and left the bases loaded after two runs had come in.  Mason Buster climbed the hill for Upper Iowa and induced a ground ball double play to end the threat and get the home team out of the jam.
 
A double with one out by Cottrell gave UIU a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the fifth.  The Peacock first baseman got to third on a ground out and then came home to tie the game, 5-5, on a single to left by Adam Budron. 
 
Cody Booker was hit by a pitch for the second time to open the sixth inning and scored on a homerun by Greco with two outs as UIU pulled ahead 7-5.  There was no doubt of the length of the homer off the bat of the Peacock centerfielder, just whether it would stay fair down the left field line.
 
The Golden Eagles managed to cut the lead to one, 7-6, with a run in the top of the eighth on a walk, hit batsmen and a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt.  The damage could have been worse as UMC had two runners in scoring position with no outs, but Buster buckled down and got three straight outs on an infield pop-up, a strikeout and a grounder back to the mound to maintain the UIU lead.
 
Upper Iowa picked up an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth thanks to Moser.  The Peacock second baseman walked to open the inning and then stole second base.  Moser stole third base as well and came home when the throw got away from the UMC third baseman and rolled into the outfield.
 
The Peacocks handed the ball to Kulick to close out the ninth on the mound.  Colton Haight sent a shot to deep left with a man on and two outs, but Budron made the catch falling down on the warning track to secure the victory.
 
Buster earned the win (2-1) with 3.2 innings on the mound; he allowed one unearned run while striking out three batters in relief.  Kulick picked up his fifth save of the season in his second appearance of the day.  Becker took the no-decision for UIU with 4.1 innings of work allowing five runs, two were earned, on five hits.
 
Nolan Wahlberg suffered the loss (3-3) with his seven innings on the bump allowing seven runs, five earned, on 12 Peacock hits.