The Peacock and Mustang baseball teams combined for 30 runs on 31 hits in a game that lasted nearly four hours. Southwest Minnesota State University outlasted Upper Iowa and posted a 16-14 win to improve to 5-13 overall and 4-9 in the conference, while UIU fell to 7-11 overall and 4-9 in the NSIC.
Despite all the runs scored in the game, both teams still left 10 runners on the basepaths. In total, the teams put 50 runners on base thanks to a combined 31 hits, 17 walks and 2 hit batsmen.
Upper Iowa opened the scoring quickly thanks to a two-run long ball off the bat of
Emmett Kulick in the first inning. Zachary Cain scored on the home run after singling to center in his first at bat.
Southwest Minnesota State answered with four runs in the bottom of the second thanks to back-to-back home runs. Connor Johnson hit the first of the homers with two on thanks to walks and Ben Heichel followed with a solo shot to push the Mustangs out to a 4-2 lead.
In the third inning, Kulick doubled down the left field line, but was put out at third when he tried to take advantage of a relay throw that got away from the cutoff; SMSU recovered in time to make the play at third. A.J. Friedrich followed the play with a home run over the fence in right center to cut the gap to 4-3.
The Mustangs used a walk, a hit batter, a single and two Peacock errors to score three unearned runs in the third inning increasing the advantage to 7-3. Kip Gronholz recorded an RBI with a single in the frame.
UIU scored another run in the fourth, but again baserunning cost the Peacocks a chance at more. The Peacocks scored their run on a run scoring single by
Jake Dale that sent
Kyle Routhieaux to the dish after a leadoff walk. A second single in the frame by
Tony Salato loaded the bases with one out and brought Cain to the plate. UIU's left fielder lifted a ball to deep left for a sacrifice fly, but the UIU runner failed to touch home plate and was called out when SMSU appealed the play at home for the final out.
Leading 7-4, SMSU crossed the plate with three runs in the fourth inning on four singles and a walk chasing UIU's starter
Alexander Morales. Brady Lanoue pushed home two Mustangs on a single and Matt Bezdicek hit a sacrifice fly to right center to give SMSU a 10-4 advantage.
UIU put runners on the corners with one out in the fifth inning, but a pair of strikeouts out of the right arm of reliever Alex Jorgensen ended the Peacock threat.
The Peacocks went right back to work in the sixth inning as the first two batters reached thanks to a walk and a fielding error on the infield. A fielder's choice left runners on the corners and one out for Cain. Cain singled to shallow center and advanced to second as UIU put runners on second and third with one out. Kulick walked to load the bases and bring Friedrich to the plate. Friedrich drove in a run with a sac fly to deep left, but the inning ended on a foul fly ball with UIU trailing 10-6.
SMSU answered the Peacock scores with three of their own runs. Lanoue hit a two-run jack to left field and then the Mustangs loaded the bases and Johnson picked up his fourth RBI of the day with a ground ball out to second base. A baserunning mistake by the Mustangs led to the second out of the inning and a strikeout finally ended the frame.
A walk and two singles by
Steve Diderrich Jr. and
Cole Scieszinski loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh. After an infield pop up,
Tony Salato singled through the left side to plate one run and Cain followed with a sac fly to right to add another run to UIU's total and leave runners on the corners with two out. Kulick clobbered his second homer of the day, this one to left centerfield, to pull Upper Iowa within two, 13-11.
Jayden Fleck led off the bottom of the seventh with a home run to left and SMSU added another run on a double to left center by Matt Bezdicek. With two runners in scoring position and one out, the Mustangs got a single by Gronholz to drive in a third run in the inning.
Logan DeWulf entered as UIU's seventh pitcher of the afternoon and induced a pair of flyballs to end the inning, but not before SMSU got back ahead by five, 16-11.
An error and two more walks for the Peacocks loaded the bases with one out in the eighth.
Jake Dale pushed one run across on a sac fly to right and Salato walked to reload the bases for Cain. SMSU made a pitching change bringing in their fifth pitcher in the form of lefthander Teddy Broxterman. Cain delivered a double down the right field line chasing home two more runs and leaving a pair in scoring position. The threat ended with a flyball to right, but UIU cut the gap back to two, 16-14.
DeWulf threw well in the eighth giving Upper Iowa a chance with their first 1-2-3 inning. DeWulf worked his 1.2 innings without allowing a baserunner to the Mustangs.
Alex Jorgensen (1-0) earned the win in relief for the Mustangs throwing 1.2 innings and allowing no runs on two hits with three strikeouts. Broxterman scored his second save of the season after facing Cain with the bases loaded in the eighth; the Mustang pitcher threw 1.1 innings allowing no runs on a hit while striking out a pair of Peacocks.
Alexander Morales (2-3) took the loss after going 3.1 innings and allowing 10 runs, 7 earned, on 7 hits and 4 walks.
Cain and Kulick both tallied 3 hits and combined for 9 runs batted in. Salato and Friedrich each picked up a pair of hits.
Upper Iowa will head to Minot State University for a Wednesday double header in Minot, N.D. The Peacocks and Beavers will start their two games at 12 p.m.
