Upper Iowa's baseball team scored early and late in Friday's game at the University of Minnesota Crookston to grab the 10-8 win in 10 innings. The Peacocks opened the scoring with five runs in the first frame and closed out the game with two runs in the tenth to pick up the victory. UIU posted just their second two-run win of the season to improve to 8-13 overall and 5-11 in the Northern Sun, while UMC fell to 14-11 overall and 6-4 in the conference.

The Peacocks didn't waste any time jumping out to a big lead with five runs in the top of the first on three hits and a Golden Eagle error. The big inning was highlighted by an Emmett Kulick run-scoring double, a two-run triple from Riley Braughton and a Steve Diderrich Jr. single that drove in the final run of the frame.

The Golden Eagles answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning, but UIU snuck back a run in the top of the second thanks to a pair of walks and an error on the Golden Eagle catcher. 

After UMC scored a run in the second cutting UIU's lead to 6-3, the two teams were held off the scoreboard in the third, although both squads left a runner on base.

Both teams added two runs to their total in the fourth inning. The Peacocks loaded the bases with no outs chasing Minnesota Crookston's starter from the game. A wild pitch allowed a run to score and a sac fly from A.J. Friedrich drove in a second run. Upper Iowa loaded the bases again with one out, but a pop-up on the infield and a strikeout ended the threat. 

The Golden Eagles began to chip away at Upper Iowa's lead in the sixth. UMC tried to start making their move in the fifth inning loading the bases with two outs, but a fly out stranded all three on the base paths. UMC scored one in the sixth and seventh innings, but the Peacocks escaped without further damage leaving five Golden Eagles on base.

Upper Iowa still led 8-7 heading into the ninth inning, but Minnesota Crookston was able to scratch out one run to tie the game and then loaded the bases with two outs. Clayton Lieb, who allowed the game-tying run, got the final out on a strike out and left three Golden Eagles on the bases to push the game into extra innings.

In the tenth, the Peacocks had runners on first and second with one out when Tony Salato dobuled to push both UIU baserunners to the plate to go ahead 10-8. 

Lieb struck out the side in the tenth to secure the victory for Upper Iowa. Despite the blown save, Lieb (1-0) posted the win after his two innings of relief allowing an unearned run on two hits and three walks while striking out four. Blake Thiesse started and threw 5.1 innings; he allowed six runs, five earned, on six hits and seven walks. Mac Wolfe threw well and held the Golden Eagles at bay with 2.2 innings allowing just an unearned run on three hits while striking out five batters.

Salato, Braughton and Scieszinski all tallied a pair of hits, while four other Peacocks registered a hit in the game.

The two teams will line up again on Saturday for a pair of games beginning at 12 p.m. Fans can follow the games through live stats or a webcast through the links at UIUPeacocks.com/Live.