Upper Iowa used a four-run fifth inning in game one of Wednesday's double header to rally from a 3-1 defecit and then hold on for a 5-4 victory over Winona State on the road. The Peacocks took a 3-0 lead in the first inning of game two, but the home team got the better of UIU over the middle innings to post an 8-3 win and split the Northern Sun Conference twinbill. After the split, the Peacocks are now 19-27 overall and 11-21 in the NSIC, while the Warriors are 20-25 overall and 18-14 in the conference.
The Peacocks scored a run in the first inning when
Eric Cottrell doubled down the rightfield line sending
Mitch Moser across the plate. Winona State answered the run in their half of the first with an rbi-double as well.
The Warriors broke the tie in the third inning when they scored a pair of runs on Moser, the Peacock starter. Winona State used three hits including a double, triple and single to post the runs with one out.
In the fifth, the UIU bats came alive with six hits to score four runs to give the visitors a 5-3 lead.
Colton Janssen led off with a single and moved to third base when
Jordan Kearns doubled to right centerfield.
Luis Ravelo doubled down the leftfield line to plate both baserunners and tie the game at 3-3.
Alex George singled up the middle to drive in Ravelo and came home after a pair of singles from Cottrell and Jacob Stenberg, who picked up the final rbi of the inning.
A one-out, rbi-single in the bottom of the fifth cut the Peacock advantage to one run, 5-4, but Moser settled back down for the remained of the fifth and sixth innings before Head Coach
Mark Danker handed the ball to UIU's closer
Ross Kulick.
Kulick got into an early 3-0 count with the first batter he faced, but struck him out looking and then got the ground out and fly out he needed for his 8th save of the season.
Moser picked up the win (2-2) with six innings of work; the sophomore allowed 4 runs on 10 hits while striking out 4.
Ravelo, George and Cottrell each had two hits in the game.
Upper Iowa opened the second game with a big inning in the opening frame jumping out to a 3-0 lead on just two hits. Ravelo walked to open the game and moved to second when Moser singled to left field.
Jacob Greco put the Peacocks on top with a three-run homer to right center for his 10th longball of the season.
Winona State got one run back in the second and then took the lead with three runs on four hits and a Peacock error in the third. The Warriors put another two runs on their line in the fourth and fifth innings to move out to an 8-3 lead. Neither team was able to mark the scoreboard again over the final innings combining for just six hits from the sixth through the ninth innings.
Shimpei Sato (2-3) took the loss after 2.1 innings on the mound; he allowed 4 runs on 6 hits.
Matt Banks closed out the third inning without allowing a run while inducing a double play.
Tyus Adkins gave up the remaining four runs in his 1.2 innings on 5 hits.
Cody Heiman,
Jake Barron and
Blake Seehusen combined to shutout the Warriors over the final 3.1 innings allowing 4 hits.
Moser and George both had two hits apiece, but the Peacocks only managed two other hits in the game.
Upper Iowa will close out the regular season on Friday and Saturday, May 1-2, at home against Augustana College. The Peacocks and the Vikings will start their double headers each day at 12 p.m. at Robertson Woods Field.
