Upper Iowa and Northern State University split a pair of Northern Sun Conference games in Mauston, Wis. on Saturday afternoon and evening. The games were moved from Fayette after Robertson Woods Field wasn't quite ready to host play this weekend. Both games were highlighted by great pitching and defense. NSU picked up a 2-1 victory in game one, while UIU scored a come-from-behind, walkoff win, 4-3, in game two.
The two teams will return to the Woodside Sports Complex in Mauston, Wis. on Sunday for the final game of their NSIC series. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m.
Game One: Northern State 2 - Upper Iowa 1
Both teams scratched the scoreboard in the first inning. The Wolves scored in the top half when thanks to a pair of hits including a double down the right field line off the bat of Dakota Stilson and an rbi-single from Sam McMaken that found its way through the right side. The Peacocks evened the score in the bottom half of the frame after Kyle Routhieax walked and Zackary Cain singled to right. A fly ball to right from
Tony Salato moved the runners and a sac fly from A.J. Friedrich sent Routhieax home.
The starters took over and limited both teams' opportunities to score through the middle innings. Northern State finally ended the scoreless innings in the top of the sixth. UIU starter
Duncan Snider got around a pair of baserunners in the fifth inning when he struck out the side, but a walk to the leadoff batter in the sixth, his fifth of the game, brought the end of his day.
The leadoff runner for NSU stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. With one out, Hayden Hall singled to left field to plate Chad Hinkle and push the Wolves ahead 2-1.
UIU was unable to push a tying run across the plate in their final two trips into the batter's box falling 2-1 in the pitchers' duel.
Luke Chevalier (2-2) earned the win with a complete game, six-strikeout performance. The righty allowed just a pair of hits to the Peacocks in his seven innings. Cain and
Cole Scieszinski picked up the singles for UIU.
Snider (1-1) suffered the loss despite scattering four hits in his five innings. While the junior righthander handed out five walks, he also posted eight strikeouts. The UIU defense rolled up two double plays behind Snider.
Game Two: Upper Iowa 4 - Northern State 3
Northern State put a pair of runs up in the top of the first when Hinkle singled to center field scoring a pair of Wolves with two outs.
Mikey Adams tripled to the fence in center with one out in the seventh inning and just beat a throw home from
Jack Thode in right on a sac fly by Isaiah Chevalier to move NSU's lead to 3-0.
Through the first eight innings, the Upper Iowa offense did everything except push runs across the plate. The Peacocks recorded 7 hits, 4 walks, 2 hit batsmen and one batter reached on an error. The Wolves turned one double play and then stranded 13 UIU players on the bases including three in each of the first two innings.
Upper Iowa finally broke through in the ninth inning with four straight singles after the inning began with a ground out. Singles up the middle by
Hogan Penny and Friedrich brought
Tony Salato and Cain home to pull the Peacocks within one, 3-2. The Wolves got a ground ball out from , but the runners both moved into scoring position. Thode delivered his third hit of the game to left field and the Peacocks pushed both runners home for the walkoff victory.
Dalton Steere and
Jake Dale both scored after being inserted as pinch runners.
Parker Kray (1-0) scored his first win of the season with a scoreless ninth inning, but UIU's starter
Blake Thiesse was the story for Upper Iowa. The freshman threw eight innings and allowed three runs on just four hits while striking out three batters. The infield worked hard behind Thiesse, who forced 12 ground outs, especially up the middle with the gloves of
Riley Braughton and
Steve Diderrich Jr.
Tyler Jones (1-1) suffered the loss in relief. The righthander went 1.2 innings and allowed four runs on six hits and a walk. John Werner frustrated the Peacocks for seven innings as he shutout UIU while scattering six hits and striking out four batters.
After just two hits in game one, the Peacocks tallied 12 hits in the second game including 3 from Thode and a pair from Salato, Cain and Penny.
