Upper Iowa's baseball team split a midweek, Northern Sun Conference double header against the University of Sioux Falls on Tuesday afternoon in Fayette. The Peacocks and Cougars locked up in a pair of one-run, extra-inning affairs with each squad grabbing a win at Robertson Woods Field. With the split, UIU moves to 9-22 overall and 7-13 in the conference, while USF is now 21-19 overall and 13-12 in NSIC games.
UIU moved to 3-5 in one-run games this season after the split, but the Peacocks had their chances in game two to win both contests and claim the sweep.
In game one,
Samuel Grushkin hit a two-run home run in the second inning over the fence in right and the lead held up until the fifth inning. In the fifth, the Cougars tied the game with a pair of unearned runs after a fielding error at first base with one out got a rally started.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Peacocks loaded the bases with one out after a pair of singles and a walk. Unfortunately, USF's Mason Leonard posted back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat and keep UIU from taking the lead. In the sixth inning, Upper Iowa's
Cael Luzum singled down the right field line to push the go-ahead run across the plate and put the Peacocks within three outs of a win.
With two outs in the seventh, the Cougars busted through with an RBI-double off the bat of Noah Christenson to tie the score at 3-3 and force the contest into extra innings.
In the eighth, three straight singles with one out by
Kainoa Torres, Luzum and
Jerry Garcia gave UIU the walk-off win. Garcia's single to left allowed Torres to score from third and secured the 4-3 win for the Peacocks.
Leonard took a no-decision for Sioux Falls after throwing 5.1 innings and striking out 10 Peacock batters. Alex Krout (0-2) took the loss with two innings of relief; he allowed one run on five hits.
Colin Lacey suffered the hard-luck, no-decision with six innings of work allowing two unearned runs while striking out seven batters including the last six outs of his time on the mound coming by strikeout.
Sam Marhefke came and pitched the seventh and eighth innings to get the win and move to 2-1.
In the second game, Upper Iowa found themselves chasing Sioux Falls, but UIU was able to tie the game in both the bottom of the fourth and the bottom of the seventh innings.
After falling behind 2-0 in the second inning, the Peacocks were able to scratch their first run of the game onto the scoreboard without a hit. Grushkin was hit by a pitch, stole second and third base and then came to the plate on a wild pitch to cut the margin in half, 2-1.
When Grushkin came back to the dish in the fourth inning, the UIU third baseman hit his second long ball of the day and fifth of the season when he launched a solo shot over the fence in left to knot the score at 2-2.
In the sixth inning, Sioux Falls was able to string five hits together to score three runs and move ahead 5-2. Upper Iowa didn't waste any time answering with two runs in their half of the sixth. The Peacocks loaded the bases with one out; Luzum followed with a sacrifice fly to right field to score one run and then a second run came home on a fielding error on the infield.
With two outs and trailing 5-4 in the seventh, another fielding error on the infield allowed the game-tying run to score.
Ethan Sawyer, who reached on a single up the middle, raced home on the defensive miscue to knot the score at 5-5.
The Peacocks tried to end the game in the eighth inning again getting runners to second and third base with one out, but Upper Iowa couldn't push the winning run across the plate.
In the tenth inning, Sioux Falls was able to take advantage of a poor defensive series for UIU that saw the team commit a fielding error and two throwing errors on the same ground play situation allowing for six total bases and a run during the miscue. The Cougars were able to add an insurance run and take a 7-5 lead into the bottom of the tenth inning.
Once again, UIU got a pair of runners into scoring position in the bottom of the frame.
Jake Hilmer drove in one run with a sacrifice fly to left field, but a strikeout ended the threat and the game as the Peacocks fell 7-6 in 10 innings.
Grayson Skinner (1-0) earned his first win of the season for USF with three innings of relief. Skinner struck out three in his time on the hill.
After winning game one, Marhefke (2-2) was saddled with the loss in game two after allowing two runs, one was earned, in 1.2 innings of work.
Jason Katz threw well for UIU across the seventh, eighth and ninth innings without allowing any runs.
Upper Iowa is scheduled to host Winona State University in Fayette on Saturday and Sunday, Apr. 23-24. The Peacocks and Warriors are set to start their Saturday double header at 1:30 p.m. and their Sunday single-game at 12 p.m.
