The Peacock baseball team opened Robertson Woods Field on Wednesday and welcomed the No. 4 Huskies of St. Cloud State University for a Northern Sun Conference double header. SCSU controlled the flow of the game and racked up 32 runs on 31 hits in the two games to post a pair of wins by scores of 19-0 and 13-5. The Huskies improved to 21-3 overall and 9-1 in the NSIC, while Upper Iowa fell to 6-9 overall and 3-7 in the conference.

Offensively, the Huskies recorded 31 hits including 8 doubles and 3 home runs to claim 48 total bases on the day and score 32 runs. In addition to all their hits, the Peacocks handed their opponents 20 walks and 3 hit batters.  On the other side of the coin, the Huskies pitchers limited UIU's opportunities to score by allowing just 5 runs on 14 hits, 6 walks and a pair of hit batters. 

In the opener, the Huskies forced the Peacocks to use four pitchers to get through the top of the fourth inning while scoring 11 runs in the frame on eight hits. St. Cloud State scored two runs in the first and second innings, added one in the third prior to their explosion and then scratched another run out in the fifth and grabbed their final two scores in the sixth. 

Cal Giese (2-1) held the Peacocks at bay allowing just 2 hits in his four innings before giving way to the relievers. Three Husky relievers shared the shutout with Giese as each threw a scoreless inning. 

Alexander Morales (2-2) took the loss for UIU allowing 10 runs, 8 earned, on 8 hits and 4 walks in 3.1 innings.

Upper Iowa scored game two's first run on a pair of singles by Zackary Cain and A.J. Friedrich that were misplayed leading to an unearned run. St. Cloud State bounced back with a two-run homer by Mitch Mallek in the third inning and added another run in the fourth inning, but Emmett Kulick answered for Upper Iowa with a solo shot to left center cutting the gap back to one run, 3-2. 

The Huskies made it 5-2 in the top of the fifth inning with a pair of runs, but UIU was determined to stay close. The Peacocks cut the gap to two, 5-3, when Kyle Routhieaux was hit by a pitch when the bases were loaded with two outs and a run was forced home. 

After the Peacocks pulled close again, the Huskies put their foot down and applied more pressure with a pair of runs in the sixth and a big, five-run inning in the seventh to push their lead to 12-3. 

In the ninth, St. Cloud State got a run to go ahead by 10, 13-3, but Upper Iowa never quit fighting and scored two runs in the ninth to set the final score at 13-5. The final two runs came thanks to an rbi-single by Routhieaux and a wild pitch that allowed Kulick to score from third base.

Shannon Ahern (2-1) got the win in relief for SCSU with 2.1 innings of work in which he allowed 1 run on 3 hits. 

Evan Rice (0-1) started for UIU and had his moments when the breaking ball had the Huskies off balance, but he allowed 4 runs, 3 earned, on 3 hits and 5 walks. 

For the day, Tony Salato and Cain each tallied 3 hits, while Riley Braughton and Friedrich each knocked out a pair of hits. Cain had two doubles, while Salato added one and Kulick made his debut for this season with a home run and two walks in his five plate appearances. 

Upper Iowa will host the Mustangs of Southwest Minnesota State University on Sunday and Monday, Mar. 31 and Apr. 1. The teams will play a double header on Sunday beginning at noon and then line it up again on Monday at noon for a single, nine-inning game.