The Peacock baseball team picked up a split in Crookston, Minn. on Friday afternoon in a Northern Sun Conference doubleheader. The four-game series was originally scheduled for Fayette, but weather forced a change in locations. Upper Iowa was the home team on the road, and would come up with a walk-off win in the opener. Minnesota Crookston used a big inning in game two to pull away for the win to earn the split. After the two games, UIU is now 14-16 overall and 10-12 in NSIC play, while UMC sits at 16-20 overall and 10-14 in league action.

The two teams will get together to round out the series on Saturday, with game one's start time scheduled for 12 p.m.

GAME ONE: UIU 3 - UMC 2
Cody Pamperin and Brett Fanning got into a pitcher's duel in game one of the double header and the game remained scoreless through the first five and a half innings.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Peacocks struck for the game's first run when Jacob Greco opened the frame with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a sac bunt by Alex George. Greco got to third on a ground out and came home when Colton Janssen singled through the left side for an rbi.

Minnesota Crookston answered with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the seventh when an error in center field that would have ended the game extended the inning instead and allowed a run to score and tie the game. An rbi-single two batters later gave UMC the 2-1 lead heading into UIU's final at-bats.

In the bottom of the seventh, Upper Iowa rallied with two outs and the bases empty. Anthony Calton was hit by a pitch to spark the comeback. Luis Ravelo singled to right field and Calton moved to third base to put runners on the corners. Greco came through to tie the game with a single to right plating Calton and sending Ravelo to third. George finished the rally off with a single to center field that scored Ravelo and gave UIU the 3-2 walkoff win.

Greco and Janssen each had two hits apiece to lead the offense. Fanning (4-2) picked up the win with another complete game after allowing two runs, both unearned, on eight hits, while striking out six Golden Eagles. Zach Seipel (0-3) took the loss allowing two runs in relief on three hits, while Pamperin went six innings and allowed just one run on four hits while striking out three.

GAME TWO: UMC 10 - UIU 5
The Golden Eagles struck first in game two off Peacock starter Tyus Adkins. UMC picked up an rbi-singe in the second inning with the bases loaded to gain the early 1-0 lead. A 6-4-3 double player a couple batters later would score another run to give the home team two-run cushion. Upper Iowa would respond in the bottom half of the inning when Mitch Moser reached on a fielder's choice to score a run.

The Peacocks tied the game in the third with a Ravelo reached on an error to plate Seehase for the unearned run. In the fourth, UMC would reclaim the lead with an rbi-single and a run-scoring double. Leading 4-2, UIU would again answer to get back within one in the high-scoring affair. Adkins lasted 4.1 innings in game two before being pulled for Mitch Silberstein. The home team used six total pitchers in the game, with Adkins eventually taking the loss. Seehase reached on a fielder's choice to score a run in the fourth to get within a run, 4-3.

Minnesota Crookston's big inning came in the fifth, plating four runs to bust open the game. A bases loaded walk started the offensive explosion, with a pair of singles and a fielder's choice to follow to give UMC a 8-3 advantage. Moser drew an rbi-walk in the sixth to score, and Dominic Hillesheim singled through the left side to bring UIU within 3, 8-5. However, a run in the sixth and a run in the eighth would give the Golden Eagles a 10-5 lead.

Zach Cain led the Peacocks at the plate, tallying three hits in game two. Six other Peacocks tallied a base knock in the game, and Moser led the squad with two runs batted in.