Northern State University swept the first two games of their four-game series with Upper Iowa on Saturday afternoon in Aberdeen, S.D. The Wolves earned an 11-1 win in game one and held on for an 11-8 victory in game two. After the losses, the Peacocks fall to 15-15 overall and 7-9 in the NSIC. Northern State is now 13-15 overall and also 7-9 in the conference.
Northern State opened their day at the plate with four runs in the top of the first on four hits including back-to-back homeruns. The Wolves scored a pair of runs in the second inning on three hits and added one in the third on a solo homerun to take a 7-0 lead.
Mitch Moser doubled to open the Peacock fourth and came home later in the inning on a sacrifice fly by
Alex George.
NSU gave dashed any chance their guests had at grabbing momentum scoring four runs in the bottom of the fourth to increase their lead to 11-1. All four runs for the Wolves were unearned after an error began the inning.
Upper Iowa did get two hits in the seventh inning, but Northern State recorded their fourth double play of the game. NSU doubled up the Peacocks in each of the first three innings of the game.
Garrison Becker fell to 0-3 on the year after throwing the first two innings and allowing six runs on seven hits.
Cody Heiman threw four innings of relief allowing five runs, only one of which was earned, on four hits.
Game two was much of the same story for the Peacocks until their final at bats. Northern State once again used big innings in the second and third to jump out to an 8-1 lead after three and five-run innings.
UIU's lone run in the first five innings, which came in the top of the third, came on a homerun down the left field line by Jake Greco. NSU added a run in the fifth inning to push their lead to 9-1 thanks to an unearned run.
Both teams scored a run in the sixth inning with UIU's coming on a sacrifice fly by
Eric Cottrell that scored Greco, who singled to reach base. The home team's score came on another solo homerun. The lead grew to nine, 11-2, after the eighth inning on a sac fly of their own.
Upper Iowa, who entered the day averaging 10.75 runs/game in their last dozen contests, made the game interesting in the top of the ninth, but came up short falling 11-8.
Callahan Seehase hit a homerun over the left field wall for his first collegiate hit with one out. The Peacocks loaded the bases thanks to a hit batsmen, an infield error and a walk. Moser followed with his fifth hit of the day to plate one run and leave the bases loaded. Greco then stepped in and hit a grand slam, his second this week, to pull Upper Iowa within three, 11-8. The rally came to an end though and NSU claimed the first two wins of the series.
Tyus Adkins took the loss (1-2) with just 2.1 innings on the hill; he allowed seven runs on seven hits.
The 2,3 and 4 spots in the lineup for UIU combined for 8 of the team's 11 hits with four runs and six rbi's, but the other six remaining spots went 3 for 23 at the dish.
The teams will return to the field in Aberdeen on Sunday morning at 10 a.m.
