The Upper Iowa baseball team played against Rockhurst University on Wednesday afternoon in the team's final non-conference action of the season. UIU had the tying run at the plate or on base in each game with their final at bat, but couldn't come up with the heroic hit to highlight their comebacks. The Hawks came out on top 7-4 and 5-3 in the two games to improve to 10-7 overall, while UIU falls to 1-13 on the season.
Game One Recap…
The Hawks took advantage of a leadoff single and a fielding error on the infield to push the game's first run across the plate on a ground out. Upper Iowa was quick to answer with two runs in the top of the second when a
Jack Thode double to center field chased
AJ Friedrich and
Hogan Penny to the plate and gave UIU a 2-1 lead.
Rockhurst kept the back-and-forth battle going with a pair of runs after opening the frame with back-to-back walks. After the pair of free passes, a sacrifice bunt and a single through the right side allowed both runners to come in pushing the home team back ahead 3-2.
UIU was able to tie the score in the top of the third inning when Friedrich doubled to right center after
Jake Dale singled to the opposite outfield gap. Dale came all the way around to score on the double.
The Upper Iowa offense got quiet in the fourth through sixth innings with just three hits in the innings. The home Hawks took advantage of the slowdown and scored a pair of runs on three hits in the fourth and two more in the sixth on two hits to take a 7-3 lead into UIU's final at bats.
In the seventh, the Peacocks got a spark from a pinch hit at bat for
Conner Klostermann. The senior hit his sixth home run of the season to pull UIU with three, 7-4, with one out. Dale followed with a single and Friedrich walked to bring the tying run to the plate, but a pair of quick outs ended the Peacock threat and secured Rockhurst's 7-4 win.
Duncan Snider (0-3) took the loss after throwing 5.1 innings and allowing seven runs, six earned, on eight hits and three walks. The senior struck out four Hawks.
Game Two Recap…
Rockhurst took an early 5-0 lead after just four innings of game two scoring a run in the bottom of the first, two in the third and two more in the fourth. The Hawks roughed up four Peacock pitchers in the opening frames, but
Chris Harsh (1.1 innings),
Samuel Grushkin (2 innings) and
Keaton Parker (1 inning) were able to hold Rockhurst in check scattering three hits without allowing a run over the final 4.1 innings.
As UIU's final three relievers took control on the hill, the Peacock offense began to chip away at the lead. In the top of the sixth inning, UIU got a leadoff single to left from Jake HIlmer and a double down the left field line by Klostermann to set up a pair of runners in scoring position with no outs.
Riley Braughton pushed Hilmer home with a groundout, but UIU was unable to get any other runs on the scoreboard.
In the ninth, Braughton led off with a single to the gap in right, moved to second on a walk earned by Friedrich and to third when Penny walked. With the bases loaded and no outs, the Peacocks looked poised to do some damage. A sacrifice fly off the bat of
Noah Gyldenvand scored Braughton before a strikeout left the Peacocks with just one out to play with. Dale singled to left center to drive in another run and put the tying run on base. Unfortunately, UIU's day ended with a fly ball to the outfield as the team fell 5-3.
Jarrett Ramer (1-1) suffered the loss after starting and going just two innings while allowing a run on three hits.
Peacock Leaders…
Jake Dale – 3-5, 1 R, 1 RBI
AJ Friedrich – 3-6, Double, 1 RBI
Jack Thode – 3-7, 2 Doubles, 2 RBI
Conner Klostermann – 2-5, Double, HR, 1 RBI
Jake Hilmer – 2-6, 1 R
Chris Harsh – 1.1 IP, 0 Hits, 1 K, 0 R
Samuel Grushkin – 2 IP, 2 Hits, 1 K, 0 R
Keaton Parker – 1 IP, 1 Hit, 1 K, 0 R
Up Next…
The Peacock baseball team will open their home and Northern Sun Conference schedule this Saturday and Sunday with a three-game series against the Mustangs of Southwest Minnesota State University. The teams will get together for a double header on Saturday at 12 p.m. and then return to the diamond on Sunday for a single, nine-inning game at 12 p.m.
