The Peacock baseball team picked up wins in the first two games of their four-game series with the Marauders of the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D. on Saturday afternoon. UIU's Ryan Munoz took a no-hitter into the final inning of game one (6-1) and Luis D. Ravelo-Herrera tallied 6 hits on the day and hit for the cycle in the second game (13-5). Upper Iowa used the two wins to even their records at 12-12 overall and 8-8 in the Northern Sun, while U-Mary fell to 5-22 overall and 1-17 in the NSIC.
 
Ryan Munoz continues to impress in his first collegiate season. The freshman southpaw from Isabel, Puerto Rico allowed only one baserunner on a walk through the first six innings of his start in game one. In the end, he scored his first victory after giving up a run on three hits in the bottom of the seventh. Munoz went the distance, but hit a bump getting his final three outs.
 
Munoz held the Marauders at bay through the first five without a baserunner. U-Mary got their first baserunner in the sixth, but Munoz struck out the final two batters of the inning to keep his no-hit streak intact. In the seventh, U-Mary broke up the streak with a bunt single to open the inning and followed up with a second single. A third straight hit brought in U-Mary's only run of the game.
 
While Munoz and the defense was taking care of business, the Peacock offense got started early with three runs in the first inning on four hits. Jacob Greco powered a run-scoring double to open the scoring and Zackary Cain and Emmett Kulick both singled to drive in runs.
 
In the fifth inning, Anthony Calton doubled down the right field line with one out and came home on a single through the left side by Greco.  UIU's final two runs came across in the sixth inning when Colton Janssen and Mitch Moser both singled to plate Peacocks and push UIU's lead to 6-0 at the time.
 
UIU tallied 12 hits in the game including two by Luis D. Ravelo-Herrera, Greco, Kulick and Janssen. Four more Peacocks got one hit in the game including Calton, Alex George, Cain and Moser.
 
In the second game, the Peacocks jumped all over the Marauders in the top of the first inning. The team scored two runs and still had the bases loaded when the first out was finally recorded. Greco walked to push a run home and Riley Braughton singled to left center to chase home a second run. After the first out was recorded, Janssen walked to plate the third run of the inning and the final run in the frame scored on a fielding error.
 
Ravelo, who walked and scored in the first inning, opened the second inning with a solo homer to left for his team-leading fourth long ball of the season. The Marauders answered to cut the gap to 5-2 in the bottom of the second as they touched up UIU's starter Cain for four hits.
 
Upper Iowa wasted little time in getting the momentum back on their side with a second four-run inning in the top of the third to push their lead to 9-2. Dominic Hillesheim singled in a run, while Calton hit a sac fly to center field to score the second run. George brought the final two Peacocks of the inning to the plate with a double to right center.
 
U-Mary scored three runs on two hits and a Peacock error in the bottom of the fourth pulling the margin back to four, 9-5, but UIU was quick to answer with two runs of their own in the top of the fifth. George picked up another rbi with a single to left that chased Ravelo home; the Peacock shortstop tripled to the gap in right field to open the inning. George made his way home thanks to a throwing error and a pair of wild pitches.
 
The Peacocks scored the final two runs of the game in the seventh inning to set the final score of 13-5. The runs prior to the seventh-inning stretch came when Callahan Seehase tripled down the right field line to plate George and Greco with one out.
 
Cain started the game on the hill for UIU, but only went three innings allowing two runs on five hits. Jay Kiel earned the win (1-2) with five innings of relief allowing three runs, two earned, on eight hits. Ross Kulick threw a solid ninth inning striking out one of the three batters he faced.
 
At the plate, UIU got a huge game from Ravelo, who hit for the cycle going 4-4 at the plate with a single, double, triple and homerun; he also scored 4 runs, drove in a run and walked twice. George was 3-5 with 3 runs and 3 rbi, while Braughton picked up 2 hits and an rbi.
 
The two teams will return to the field in Bismarck on Sunday at 12 p.m. for the final two games of the NSIC series.