Upper Iowa split another double header with the University of Minnesota Crookston on Sunday. The Peacocks won game one 3-2 in extra innings, but the Golden Eagles broke a 5-5 tie in game two scoring the final five runs of the game to win. With the second straight split, UIU moved to 13-16 overall and 10-13 in the Northern Sun, while UMC is now 18-23 overall and 4-18 in the conference.
 
The Peacocks will return to Fayette to host Southwest Minnesota State University on Wednesday, Apr. 25 at Robertson Woods Field beginning at 12 p.m.
 
Game One: Upper Iowa 3 - Minnesota Crookston 2 (8)
The Peacocks got on the scoreboard in the third inning taking a 1-0 lead. Riley Braughton doubled to left to open the frame and moved to third after a pair of outs, a walk and a wild pitch on a swing and miss that extended the inning. With the bases loaded, Tony Salato hit a grounder to the shortstop that was mishandled for an error allowing Braughton to come home.
 
UIU made it 2-0 in the fifth after Emmett Kulick led off with a double down the left field line. After stealing third base, Kulick came home on an rbi-ground out off the bat of Jacob Greco.
 
The Golden Eagles finally got to Peacock starter Brett Fanning in the fifth when they tied the game at 2-2 thanks to three hits including a two-run homer by game two's hero Hunter Baldwin.
 
With the game tied, UMC threatened to end the contest in the seventh after UIU's relievers put the first two batters of the inning on base with a walk and a hit batsman. A failed sac bunt left runners at first and second with one out, but a single through the right side loaded the bases for the home team. Parker Kray took the mound for UIU and shut the door on the rally with a strike out and foul pop fly to push the game into extra innings.
 
In the eighth, Upper Iowa singled in three of their first four at bats to load the bases with one out. A.J. Friedrich singled to push Zak Cain across the plate for the go ahead run, but a pair of strikeouts made sure that the lead was only one run.
 
Tyus Adkins came on to strike out the side in the eighth earning a save and preserving the Peacock victory.
 
Kray (1-0) picked up the win and Adkins earned the save (3), while Fanning picked upa no-decision after 6 innings of work. Fanning allowed 2 runs on 6 hits while striking out 6 batters. Braughton and Cain both had two hits apiece in UIU's lineup.
 
Game Two: UMC 10 - UIU 5
After game one went to extra innings, game two automatically became a seven-inning game. Upper Iowa quickly got runs on the board in the first inning fueled by a Greco rbi-double to the left centerfield gap and a Cain single that was mishandled in center allowing Greco to score.
 
The Golden Eagles wasted no time in rallying and taking a lead for themselves. UMC used three hits and a Peacock error in the outfield to score four runs and move ahead 4-2.
 
UIU cut the margin in half with a run in the second inning. Braughton hit his second double of the day to left and scored with two outs when Callahan Seehase singled up the middle. The Peacocks were able to tie the game at 4-4 in the third inning. The tying run came after Kulick opened the frame with a triple to left and then scored when Greco singled to left in the team's next at bat.
 
The home team scored an unearned run in the bottom of the third to move ahead 5-4, but the Peacocks once again answered to tie the game at 5-5. In the fourth, Braughton doubled for the third time to left field and with one out came home when Cole Scieszinski singled to center.
 
UMC scored a run in the bottom of the fourth and added another in the fifth to pull ahead 7-5. The UIU bats went silent over the final innings and the Golden Eagles put the game away in the sixth with three runs on three hits including a solo homer, a triple and a two-run long ball by Reed Hjelle.
 
Colin Lacey (3-3) suffered the loss going 5 innings and allowing 7 runs, only 4 were earned, on 9 hits, while striking out 5 batters. Greco and Braughton each had two hits in the series finale. Braughton tallied four hits on the day including three doubles.