The Peacock baseball team swept a double header at Northern State University on Friday. UIU improved to 8-2 over their last ten games fueled by a combined 20 runs on 25 hits. After the wins, Upper Iowa is now 11-10 overall and 9-7 in the NSIC, while Northern State falls to 9-9 overall and 8-6 in the conference.
 
The visitor's offense erupted in game one for 16 runs on 14 hits and scored multiple runs in each of the first five innings. Upper Iowa took advantage of 5 walks, 5 hit batsmen and 3 Wolves errors combined with the 14 hits to post their highest run total of the season. In the nightcap, UIU took a 3-1 lead into the seventh but the NSU tied the game and forced extra innings. The Peacocks scored on a sac fly in the 12^th inning and then closed out the home team in the bottom of the frame for their third straight win.
 
The two teams will get together again Saturday at 11 a.m. for the series finale in Aberdeen, S.D. Fans can follow the action through live stats or a webstream at UIUPeacocks.com/Live.
 
Game One: Upper Iowa 16 – Northern State 9
Upper Iowa got the scoring started in the top of the first on a bases-loaded double off the bat of Sam Grushkin. Grushkin's double to the gap in right center cleared the bases after an error, single and walk packed the bases full of Peacocks.
 
In the second inning, Noah Gyldenvand homered to right centerfield after a walk to push Upper Iowa's early advantage to 5-0.
 
Three straight singles by Alex Greene, Grushkin and Hogan Penny loaded the bases with no outs in the third inning. AJ Friedrich pushed one run in when he walked and Adrian Trujillo made it 7-0 in favor of the visitors with a sacrifice fly to right field. The Wolves were able to scratch two runs back in the bottom of the third on a two-run homer to right center.
 
Both teams scored four runs in the fourth inning. UIU's came in one swing, when Penny hit a grand slam over the wall in left field to put the Peacocks ahead 11-2. Northern State answered in the bottom half of the inning scoring four runs on four hits to pull back within five runs, 11-6.
 
An error on the NSU defense allowed UIU's first run in the fifth to come home and then UIU added to the pain with a rbi-double from Grushkin and a two-run double off the bat of Penny. After the back-to-back doubles, UIU led 15-6.
 
UIU loaded the bases again in the seventh inning and Gyldenvand was hit by a pitch to force in the 16^th run of the game.
 
The Wolves cut the final margin to 16-9 with a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh.
 
At the plate, Grushkin and Penny combined for seven of UIU's 14 hits including four doubles and a home run, as well as 10 runs batted in and five runs scored.
 
On the mound, Blake Thiesse earned the win and improved to 2-2 with four innings of work. The sophomore allowed six runs on six hits and four walks while posting three strikeouts. Kiley Brown and Jason Katz worked through the fifth and sixth innings without allowing any runs and Chris Harsh closed out the game with a pair of strikeouts around the NSU three-run home run.
 
Game Two: Upper Iowa 4 – Northern State 3 (12)
Northern State was the first to scratch the scoreboard in game two thanks to a pair of hits including a rbi-double with two outs.
 
The Wolves held their lead until the third inning when Adrian Trujillo led off the frame with a double down the right field line. Kyle Routhieaux singled through the left side with two outs to plate the Peacock catcher and then raced home from first when Jake Hilmer doubled to left field. The three hits led to UIU taking a 2-1 lead. 
 
UIU added an extra run to their lead in the fourth when Trujillo hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Grushkin, who reached on an error to open the inning.
 
Northern State cut the gap in half in the seventh inning taking advantage of a pair of errors on the Peacock infield to start the inning. The second run, albeit unearned, was enough to finally chase starter Jarrett Ramer off the mound prior to the eighth inning.
 
Ramer was solid in the no-decision going seven strong innings and allowing the two runs while scattering five hits and striking out eight. What made Ramer's performance more impressive was how he bounced back after a tough relief appearance at the University of Mary on Wednesday.
 
Keaton Parker climbed the hill for UIU in the eighth and allowed a pair of hits and a sac fly to tie the game at 3-3. Parker came back out in the ninth inning and kept the Wolves off the scoreboard as the game moved into extra innings.
 
UIU loaded the bases with two outs in the tenth inning, but could not push the lead run to the plate.
 
In the bottom of the tenth, Chris Webber took the ball for the Peacocks and thanks to a double play ball didn't allow a run despite giving up a single and a triple in the inning. With the winning run just 90 feet away, Webber was able to strand the NSU runner with a strike out.
 
In the twelfth inning, Greene walked and Penny singled to put a pair of Peacocks on with one out. A wild pitch allowed both runners to advance and AJ Friedrich supplied the sacrifice fly to left field to score Greene and give UIU a 4-3 lead.
 
After a pair of flyouts, Webber got the final out of the game on a strikeout to secure the victory.
 
Webber earned the win (1-0) with three innings of work allowing just two hits while striking out three batters. Parker allowed one run on three hits in his two innings of relief.
 
At the plate, Routhieaux notched three hits including a double, while Penny added two more hits for a total of five on the day.