Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The Peacock baseball team completed a four-game, Northern Sun Conference sweep in entertaining fashion on Friday afternoon in Fayette. The four-game sweep marks the first time Upper Iowa has claimed all four games of a NSIC series since taking four against the University of Minnesota Crookston in 2010.
 
UIU lost a lead late in game one, but rallied from a four-run deficit in extra innings to win 12-11. The Peacocks then dominated the series finale for a 6-1 win to improve to 7-6 overall and 5-2 in the conference. UMary falls to 2-16 overall and 0-8 in the conference after the series.
 
Upper Iowa will remain at home for a pair of games next Tuesday, Mar. 27 against Augustana University.
 
Game One: Upper Iowa 12 - UMary 11 (8 Innings)
Upper Iowa took a 4-1 lead into the top of the sixth inning. UIU scored one in the first after Tony Salato tripled to lead off and came home on a ground out. In the second inning, Cal Seehase powered a homerun over the wall in left to add two more runs to UIU's side of the scoreboard. After the Marauders got one run back in the third inning, the home team answered with a run in the fourth inning. Salato singled in a run to push the lead back to 4-1.
 
UMary used a three-run, six-hit frame in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 4-all, but Upper Iowa had an answer in the bottom of the inning. With the score tied at 4-4, the Peacocks got a double from Salato to left center which plated Seehase and Emmett Kulick. The runs put UIU ahead 6-4 needing only 3 outs for the win.
 
The Marauders had other plans though. UMary paired two hits with a hit batsmen, a wild pitch and a walk to score three runs and take a one-run lead, 7-6. Upper Iowa evened the game up with a score in the bottom of the seventh when A.J. Friedrich drove in Connor Klostermann on a hard grounder to the right side.
 
As the game moved to extra innings, UMary dug in and staked a claim to the game with four runs in the eighth inning thanks to a pair of hits, walks, hit batsmen and wild pitches as well as a passed ball. It looked as if the Marauders were in position to get their first NSIC victory of the season.
 
But Upper Iowa used their home field advantage and last turn at the plate to their advantage. The Peacocks rallied with five runs on three hits, a pair of walks and a hit batsmen. The huge comeback was highlighted by an rbi-ground out by Zackary Cain, an rbi-single by Dominic Hillesheim and a Brenden Butler double over the head of the Marauder left fielder. Butler's double drove in two runs to tie the game at 11-11. Emmett Kulick singled to left field to plate Butler and give Upper Iowa their second walkoff victory of the series.
 
Brett Fanning took a no-decision after 6 innings of work; the redshirt senior allowed 4 runs, 3 earned, on 9 hits while striking out 4. Alexander Glick (1-0) claimed the win after getting through the top of the eighth while allowing a pair of runs on 2 hits.
 
Salato, Klostermann, Hillesheim and Seehase all had three hits in the game, while Hans Alwin added a pair of hits.
 
Game Two: Upper Iowa 6 - UMary 1
After a pair of walkoff victories for the home team, the Peacocks controlled the finale of the series to win 6-1. Upper Iowa got the scoring started early with a pair of runs in the first inning when Hillesheim hit a two-run single to left. Alwin singled to open the second inning and later scored on a throwing error to push the lead to 3-0.
 
In the third inning, Jacob Greco doubled to center field and came home on a Butler single through the left side. Upper Iowa's final runs came in the fourth inning. The Peacocks registered four hits in the frame including a two-run single down the right field line by Klostermann. The single drove in Salato and Cain, who both singled to center earlier in the inning.
 
UMary's only run came in the fifth inning when they put together three hits in the inning.
 
In a scheduled split-start, Kolton Gonnerman (2-1) started and dominated the opening 3 innings. The senior allowed 3 hits in his 3 frames and added a pair of strikeouts. Ryan Munoz posted a save with 4 innings of work in relief. The sophomore gave up a run on 6 hits, while striking out 3 batters.
 
At the plate, Greco and Klostermann each had a pair of hits.