Upper Iowa (1-3) split their second day of action on opening weekend at Newman University (5-6) in Wichita, Kan. UIU won the first game on Sunday 6-5 thanks to a big inning late in the game, but Newman bounced back with a win in the series finale.
The Peacocks entered the sixth inning of game one trailing the Jets 5-2, but UIU exploded for four runs in the top of the inning and then held on for the 6-5 win.
As they did on Saturday, Upper Iowa scored first with a run in the second inning when Jake Greco hit a sac fly to push an unearned run across the plate.
Newman got their scoring started in the third inning with three runs on four singles and a Peacock miscue. The Jets added another run in the fourth on an rbi-double to move out to a 4-1 lead.
Upper Iowa cut the lead to two, 4-2, in the top of the fifth when
Alex George notched his first homerun of the season.
The Jets reset their lead to three, 5-2, in the fifth inning scoring with a walk,single and hit batsmen in the frame.
In the sixth,
Emmett Kulick got the Peacock rally started with one out with a single and stolen base. Greco doubled down the left field line to plate Kulick and scored after a
Dominic Hillesheim single through the left side and an rbi-single through the right side off the bat of
Anthony Calton. A Luis Ravelo single to right loaded the bases. With two outs, George walked to force the tying run home and then
Colton Janssen singled on the infield to plate the go-ahead run. UIU recorded six hits in the frame to score their four runs.
Mitch Moser came on in relief of starter
Brett Fanning in the bottom of the sixth and held the Jets without a hit to earn his first save of the season. Fanning (1-0) threw 5 innings allowing 5 runs on 8 hits and a pair of walks.
At the plate, Hillesheim had three hits, while Ravelo and George each recorded a pair of hits.
In the final game of the series, the Jets scored a pair of runs in the second inning, but the Peacocks rallied to tie game with a pair of run in the top of the fourth. UIU's scores came when
Anthony Calton doubled to right field with runners on second and third.
Newman blew the game open in the bottom of the fourth with 8 runs on 6 hits chasing UIU's starter
Jay Kiel (0-1), who threw 3 innings and the first six batters of the fourth.
The Jets added a run in the fifth and two more in the sixth to push their lead to 13-2. Due to the run rule, the game ended in the middle of the seventh with Newman ahead by 10 or more runs.
Miguel Rodriguez,
Parker Kray,
Mac Wolfe and
Clayton Lieb all came out of the bullpen for Head Coach
Brandon Hunt. Kray was the long Peacock to not allow a run in his time on the hill.
In the batter's box UIU was held to just seven hits in the game with Zachary Cain picking up two of the team's hits.
Upper Iowa's next game is in Quincy, Ill. on Mar. 7 at 1 p.m. The Peacocks will take on the Hawks of Quincy University in a non-conference double header.
