Upper Iowa defeated Rockhurst University 8-1 in Kansas City on Friday night. The victory marks the fourth consecutive year that the Peacocks have won a game on opening day. UIU led wire-to-wire and seven Peacocks crossed the plate in the one-sided affair. Following the game, Upper Iowa moves to 1-0 while Rockhurst starts off 0-1.
Upper Iowa's leadoff man, Ryan Hull, began the game with an infield single and advanced to second on the play thanks to a throwing error committed by Rockhurst's third baseman. Jake Hilmer followed in the order giving himself up on a sac bunt to move Hull over to third. AJ Friedrich and Hogan Penny walked back to back before Alex Greene hit a line drive past the pitcher moving all runners up a base and bringing Hull home. The Hawks then retired two consecutive Peacocks to end the opening frame. Freshman Jarrett Ramer got the start for UIU and shut down RU's top of the order 1-2-3 in the bottom half of the inning.
Following a scoreless second and third, the Peacocks manufactured another three runs in the top of the fourth. Samuel Grushkin led off the frame with a walk. The freshman then advanced on a groundout and a wild pitch before scoring on a throwing error committed by the Hawks' catcher. Noah Gyldenvand singled up the middle after battling out a 3-2 count. Hull followed with a blast to the opposite field that went for a triple and scored Gyldenvand. Hull made his way home on an RBI groundout off the bat of Hilmer extending the Peacocks' lead to 4-0 through three and a half.
After being shut out and kept hitless through the first three innings, Rockhurst got on the board in the hits and runs columns during the bottom of the fourth. Nic Mertes reached on throwing error by Glydenvand before Ty Herrenbruck doubled deep into centerfield bringing Mertes home and cutting RU's deficit down to 4-1.
Ramer's day was done after six innings of work. The Kenosha, Wis. native rang up six Hawks while allowing just four hits and a walk. Keaton Parker came in for relief in the seventh and struck out the side.
UIU added some insurance in the top of the ninth breaking a four-inning drought. After Hilmer and Friedrich reached on a pair of singles, Greene blasted a double into the right field gap scoring Hilmer and picking up his second RBI of the night. Nolan Friedrichs was hit-by-a-pitch to load the bases, Grushkin followed with a single that soared past the second baseman and brought home Friedrich and Greene. A Glydenvand single scored Friedrichs putting UIU up 8-1 with a half inning to go. Parker then retired three straight in the bottom half to close out the contest and secure the Upper Iowa victory.
PEACOCKS OF THE GAME…
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Glydenvand: 3-3 w/ a 2B, 2 BB, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 SB
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Hull: 2-5 w a 3B, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB
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Greene: 2-5 w/ a 2B, 2 RBI
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Ramer: 6.0 IP, 6 Ks, 1 R, 0 ER
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Parker: 3.0 IP, 4 Ks, 0 R
UP NEXT… The two teams will meet again on Saturday, March 6 at 12 and 2 p.m. for a pair of seven-inning games.
