Upper Iowa traveled south to the Gateway City to take on the University of Missouri-St. Louis in a non-conference, nine-inning game on Friday. The Peacocks nearly pulled off the victory despite being outhit 12-4 in the game. The Tritons rallied from an early 3-0 deficit to grab a 4-3 win and improve to 1-4 on the year, while UIU fell to 2-3 on the season.
Keaton Parker took a no-decision after six innings of work on the mound; he allowed 10 hits and three runs while striking out three batters.
Brennan Sefrit suffered the loss after giving up the fourth run on a pair of hits.
Nicholas Pica closed the game with a pair of strikeouts.
Ethan Sawyer,
Ryan Hull,
Kainoa Torres and Nicholas Vite all had a hit in the game.
Nick Torres also earned a no-decision after allowing three runs on three hits in seven innings with six strikeouts. Christian Thrasher got the win throwing the eighth inning, while Dylan Wobbe got the save after throwing a perfect ninth. At the plate Brandon Olion went 4-4 with a double and two RBI.
The Peacocks got on the scoreboard first in the opening inning when
Samuel Grushkin walked and stole second with no outs. After a fly ball allowed Grushkin to move closer to scoring, the sophomore came home on an error on the infield.
In the third, Vite singled to open the frame, stole second with one out and came around to score on a second infield error. An A.J. Friedrich ground out pushed a third unearned run across the plate and gave the visitors a 3-0 lead.
The Tritons began to rally in the fifth inning scoring two runs on four hits highlighted by a two-run single off the bat of Olion. A Mitchell Green home run in the sixth tied the game at 3-3.
The Peacocks put a runner in scoring position in both the seventh and eighth innings, but were unable to push the lead run home.
UMSL took the lead in the bottom of the eighth after the first batter was hit and moved to third on a double by Logan Mantz. With one out, Clayton Stephens recorded the game-winning RBI on a sac fly to center.
UIU went in order in the top of the ninth falling 4-3 to Missouri-St. Louis.
Upper Iowa and William Jewell College announced a change to their three-game series. The two teams will meet for a double header on Saturday beginning at 12 p.m. and then play one game on Sunday at 12 p.m. The change was due to weather forecasted for Monday in Liberty, Mo.
