Upper Iowa baseball dropped a pair of close home games to Winona State University on Sunday in Fayette. The Peacocks lost a 5-4 decision in game one and a 6-4 affair in game two to fall to 9-24 on the season and 7-15 in Northern Sun Conference games. Winona State improved to 11-19 overall and 9-10 in conference games. The tough losses moved UIU's record in games decided by one run to 3-6 and games decided by two runs to 0-7.
The Peacocks scratched the scoreboard first in game one with a run on a sacrifice fly by
Ethan Sawyer in the bottom of the first inning.
Winona State answered to tie the game in the third inning when Joshua Hawksford homered to left and then pushed out to a 4-1 lead with a solo shot off the bat of Miller Wallace and a second home run by Hawksford that plated two in the fifth inning.
Upper Iowa tied the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the sixth inning when
Jake Hilmer singled and
Ethan Sawyer walked in front of a three-run home run by
Samuel Grushkin. The homer was Grushkin's third in three-straight games.
In the seventh, an error on the infield extended the inning and allowed an unearned run to score on what would have been an inning-ending ground ball.
Trailing 5-4,
Sage Stellmacher doubled to right centerfield with two outs, but a ground ball up the middle was grabbed by Austin Beyer, who made a throw to first to get an out by a step and end the game.
Nicholas Herold (4-1) picked up the win for WSU with a complete game after allowing four runs on five hits while striking out eight batters.
Sam Marhefke (2-3) allowed the unearned run in the seventh in his third inning of relief as the loss was hung on him despite five strikeouts and just two hits allowed.
Jarrett Ramer took a no-decision with four innings on the hill; he allowed four runs on four hits while striking out three batters.
In game two, Winona State scored five times in the third inning on just two hits thanks to three walks and two hit batters.
Upper Iowa was able to get one run back in the bottom of the third inning when a ground ball by Sawyer pushed Stellmacher across the plate with two outs. The Peacocks added two more runs in the fifth inning on an RBI-double by Grushkin and a fielding error at second base by the Warriors that allowed
Ryan Hull and Sawyer to score, respectively. UIU's rally ended with runners on second and third with a strikeout.
Winona State improved their advantage to 6-3 in the seventh inning after a leadoff double by Beyer.
Upper Iowa rallied again in the eighth when Grushkin earned a walk to open the frame and scored on a
Cael Luzum double to the gap in left. After
Nicolas Vite walked, both Luzum and Vite moved up a base on a double steal to put the tying run on second with one out. A strikeout and an infield pop up ended the threat heading into the final inning.
The Peacocks went 1-2-3 in the ninth as the Warriors snagged the 6-4 win.
Cameron Kramer (1-5) scored the win with five innings of work; he allowed three runs on five hits with three strikeouts. Justin Firpo got his second save with a quick ninth inning after Caleb Strack threw three innings of relief allowing just one run with four strikeouts.
Grant Ver Voort (0-3) took the loss after two innings in his start; he allowed five runs on two hits with a pair of strikeouts.
Nicholas Pica (3.1 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 4 strikeouts),
Austin Shingledecker (2.1 innings, 2 hits, 1 run, two strikeouts),
Race Geesink (0.2 innings, 0 hits, 0 runs) and
Jason Katz (0.2 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs) all threw well in relief to give the Peacock bats a chance to rally.
The two teams are scheduled to return to the diamond at Robertson Woods Field on Monday, Apr. 25 at 2 p.m. for the nine-inning, series finale.
