Upper Iowa dropped a pair of baseball games to the University of Minnesota Duluth in Marion, Iowa at the Prospect Meadows complex. The Bulldogs defeated the Peacocks 17-6 in game one and outlasted UIU in game two by a 3-1 count. UMD improved to 7-7 on the year and 2-0 in the conference, while UIU falls to 2-10 overall and 0-2 in the NSIC.
Minnesota Duluth powered their way to a 17-6 win in game one behind 18 hits including three doubles and three home runs. The Bulldogs scored three runs in the first, two in the second and four in the third before putting the game away with seven runs in the fourth inning. Upper Iowa did their scoring in the third and fifth innings prior to UMD pushing the last run across in the top of the seventh inning.
Russ Tanner earned the win and improved to 2-0 with five innings of work. Tanner allowed all six runs, five earned, while striking out five Peacocks. Zach Kuseske worked a scoreless two innings in relief. Trevor Gustafson tallied four hits with two doubles and scored twice while driving in three runs. Tim Pokornowski and Tosten Mann each picked up three hits for the Bulldogs and combined for 11 RBIs with Pokornowski grabbing six.
Keaton Parker suffered the loss for Upper Iowa after two innings to start the game and five runs allowed.
Gunnar Foegen and
SJ Mousseau couldn't stop the bleeding in the early innings allowing four and six runs, respectively.
Devin Redmond allowed a run in .2 innings as well, but
Jason Katz brought an end to the Bulldog scoring for the most part allowing just one run over the final three innings on three hits and three strikeouts.
Ethan Sawyer had two of UIU's seven hits in the game including a two-run single in the third inning.
Jake Hilmer,
Cael Luzum and
Samuel Grushkin all drove in a run for UIU during the fifth inning.
In game two, the Bulldogs scored three runs in the third inning after putting a pair of runners on with a hit batter and a walk with one out. Mann brought both runners home and made his way around the bases with a three-run homer to right.
The runs were the only scores in the game until the bottom of the ninth. With two outs and the bases empty,
Jake Hilmer homered to left centerfield cutting the gap to two, 3-1. After a two-base error on a fly ball, the Peacocks brought the tying run to the plate. Minnesota Duluth's Chase Eiden got the punchout needed to score the 3-1 win and earn a save in relief.
Ben Shephard earned the win after scattering three Peacock hits across seven scoreless innings and adding five strikeouts.
Lacey threw four innings before coming out due to an injury. The southpaw allowed the three runs on just two hits, while striking out four Bulldogs.
Sam Marhefke came on in relief and threw five strong innings of scoreless baseball to keep Upper Iowa in the hunt. Marhefke allowed three hits to the Bulldogs while striking out seven batters.
The two teams are scheduled to get back on the diamond Monday, Mar. 21 in Fayette at Robertson Woods Field. If the field is still unplayable, the games will return to Prospect Meadows in Marion. The double header will feature one nine-inning NSIC game to start and then a seven-inning non-conference game to close out the series. No matter the location, the double header's first game will begin at 12 p.m.
