Upper Iowa claimed a split in St. Cloud, Minn. on Sunday in a pair of 3-0 decisions against St. Cloud State University. SCSU picked up the win in the first pitchers' duel, while UIU scored the 3-0 victory in game two. With the split SCSU is now 19-7 overall and 11-4 in the Northern Sun Conference, while UIU moves to 10-12 overall and 6-8 in the NSIC.
Tyus Adkins threw a masterful two-hit, complete game for the Peacocks recording two strikeouts in the second game. The win was his first of the season, but second straight complete game, nine-inning victory at Joe Faber Field in St. Cloud, Minn. Last April, Adkins allowed just one run on seven hits while striking out four Huskies. SCSU was ranked No. 1 in the country a season ago at the time of Adkins' win.
Jacob Greco put the Peacocks on the board in game two in the top of the fourth inning with a solo homerun. Upper Iowa added to their lead in the fifth inning with a two-out, rbi-single off the bat of
Anthony Calton scoring
Jaime Ramos followed by a run-scoring double by
Alex George taking a 3-0 advantage.
Thanks to Adkins and the Peacock defense the three runs were more than enough to get the win and break UIU's four-game skid. Zach Cain and Ramos each picked up a pair of hits and five other UIU batters tallied a hit in the game.
In game one, the Huskies struck for a pair of runs in the first inning thanks to a two-run error on the Peacock infield with runners on second and third. A homerun by Jackson Goplen pushed St. Cloud's lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Emett Kulick doubled to lead off the top of the fifth inning for Upper Iowa, but was stranded in scoring position. Kulick also singled in the seventh to lead the offense in game one.
The pitcher's duel ended with a 3-0 final score in favor of the Huskies. Dominic Austing earned the complete game victory allowing just five hits in seven innings with four strikeouts.
Brett Fanning suffered the complete game loss throwing 6 innings while allowing three runs, only one was earned, on six hits.
Upper Iowa will play their final non-conference games of the season on Wednesday, Apr. 5. The Peacocks will take on the Flyers of Lewis University in Romeoville, Ill. UIU will then return to NSIC games with a four-game series against the Marauders of the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D. on Saturday and Sunday, Apr. 8-9.