The Peacocks scored the first run of the game, but found themselves trailing 13-1 heading into the top of the fourth after Mansfield knocked home 11 runs in the bottom of the third. Upper Iowa's offense got going after the Mountaineer outburst, but the big inning proved to be too much to overcome as UIU suffered their fifth straight loss in Florida to fall to 3-5 on the year. Manfield improved to 7-4 with the victory.
Jacob Greco drove in the first run of the game with a double to score
Mitch Moser, but Mansfield quickly answered with two runs in the first to take the lead. The Mountaineer explosion in the third inning was thanks to 8 hits, 3 walks and a hit batsmen and left the home team ahead 13-1.
Upper Iowa's offense caught a stride in the fourth inning scoring four runs on five hits. Before the first out in the inning, UIU had all five hits including a two-run single to center by Jacob Stenberg and an rbi-single by
Cody Booker. With the bases loaded and no outs, the Mountaineers turned a double play on a grounder that saw them trade two outs for a run.
The Peacocks edged closer in the fifth inning and cut the deficit to 13-7 after three walks to open the frame loaded the bases with no outs.
Emmett Kulick and Booker pushed the two runs in with the fourth and fifth walks of the inning. UIU looked to be in business with the meat of the order coming up, but two straight outs ended the threat.
Mansfield got the two runs right back and reestablished their eight-run lead, 15-7, with five hits in their half of the fifth inning. The runs continued for both teams as the combined score neared 30 runs.
Upper Iowa scored two runs in the sixth inning on a Stenberg single through the left side that scored
Colton Janssen and
Eric Cottrell, but once again Mansfield equaled the runs with two of their own.
Trailing 17-9, the Peacocks were the last team to scratch the scoreboard in the top of the seventh inning. UIU took advantage of some Mountaineer miscues including a hit batsmen, a fielding error and a walk. Janssen singled with the bases loaded and just one out and
Alex George picked up the final rbi of the game on a ground out to second.
Brandon Nicholson (0-1) threw 2 innings allowing 9 runs on six hits, while
Garrison Becker threw 3.1 innings allowing 8 runs on 12 hits.
Miguel Rodriguez fared much better than the rest hurling for 2.2 innings and keeping the Mansfield batters off the scoreboard.
Janssen recorded 3 hits with 2 rbi and 3 runs scored, while Stenberg got a pair of hits and 4 rbi. Six other Peacocks had at least one hit in the game.
Upper Iowa will take the diamond in Clearwater again tomorrow with the first pitch sceduled to begin at 11 a.m. The Peacocks will take on the Tritons of the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
