Upper Iowa put together a solid day of baseball in Bismarck, N.D. on Saturday winning a pair of games at the University of Mary by scores of 6-5 (9 Inn.) and 7-2. The Peacocks tallied 13 runs on 22 hits, five walks and six steals in the double header sweep. Five Peacock pitchers and the UIU defense allowed just seven runs on 12 hits to the Marauders over the 16 innings.
 
The Peacocks improve to 8-18 overall and 6-9 in the Northern Sun Conference. The wins also marked the third and fourth straight wins for the team.
 
The Marauders jumped out to an early 4-0 lead thanks to a sacrifice fly and a three-run home run off the bat of Kendall Keller in the first inning.
 
After the rough opening frame, UIU starter Jarrett Ramer settled in and held UMary off the scoreboard in the second and third innings, while the Peacocks were able to score a pair of runs in the top of the second cutting the margin in half, 4-2.
 
Grushkin doubled down the left field line with one out and after Tanner Stein walked and Cael Luzum notched a bunt single the bases were loaded for Upper Iowa. Jerry Garcia hit a two-run single to right to plate both Grushkin and Stein.  UMary got out of the jam without allowing any more runs and stranded two Peacocks on base.
 
The home team put together back-to-back doubles by Keller and James Martin to push their advantage to 5-2, but Ramer was able to induce an infield fly and get a strikeout to end the threat.
 
UIU got the run back right away in the top of the fifth inning when Nicholas Vite walked, stole second and came home on an Ethan Sawyer double to left. The run pulled Upper Iowa back within two, 5-3.
 
In the seventh, the Peacocks rallied to force extra innings with two runs on two hits and a costly Marauder error. Ryan Hull opened the pivotal inning with a bunt single and then stole second base. After a pair of outs, Hull advanced to third on a passed ball and then came home when a throw from short stop pulled the first baseman off the bag and allowed Sawyer to reach safely. Hull scored on the error as the tying run was on at first. Sawyer stole second and then came home when pinch hitter Casey Zarr singled to center field to tie the game at 5-5. A strikeout ended the rally, but not before the Peacocks had knotted the score.
 
The Peacocks took the lead in the top of the ninth inning. Jake Hilmer singled with two outs and then moved to second when Sawyer reached again on an error. Sage Stellmacher stepped in singled to center field pushing Hilmer home and giving UIU the lead.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, Sam Marhefke closed out the Marauders with his third inning of work on the mound. UMary got a single from Martin with two outs, but Marhefke got the final out on a grounder to first.
 
Marhefke (1-0) earned his first win of the year with three dominant innings of relief. The righty allowed just one hit while posting three strikeouts. Austin Shingledecker also threw well; he did not surrender a hit in his two innings with one strikeout. Ramer took the no-decision with four innings on the hill; he allowed five runs on five hits while striking out four.
 
Austin Wagner started and threw six innings for UMary allowing three runs on seven hits with 12 strikeouts, while Derek Shoen suffered the loss with three innings pitched and three unearned runs on four hits.
 
Hull and Hilmer each had two hits in the game, while Garcia notched two runs batted in. UIU registered 11 hits with nine different players scratching out a hit.
 
In the second game, UMary notched a pair of runs in the first inning on three-straight singles and a sacrifice fly. The runs came off UIU starter Keaton Parker, but much like game one, Parker was able to settle down and work through five innings on the hill. Parker allowed just the two runs on six hits while fanning six Marauders. Parker (1-5) earned with win, his first of the season, while Brady Stevens cleaned up the sixth and seventh innings with two strikeouts.
 
Upper Iowa began to rally with a run in the third inning when Luzum singled to left with one out. Luzum was able to come all the way around and score when Hull hit a bunt single and the UMary pitcher threw it away.
 
The Peacocks took the lead, 3-2, in the fourth inning. Sawyer opened the inning with a single and Grushkin was hit by a pitch; the pair moved to second and third when Stein placed down a sacrifice bunt. Garcia plated both runners with a single to center handing UIU the lead.
 
UIU added a run in the fifth and three more in the sixth to move out to a 7-2 lead. The run in the fifth came when Hull walked and moved to third on a Vite double down the right field line. Sawyer singled through the left side to allow a score by Hull. In the sixth, Stein led off the inning with a hit batsman and Garcia singled to right. Both runners moved up a base on a Stellmacher sac bunt. Hull singled in a run and Vite followed with a single to right that brought in two more Peacocks.
 
Hull, Vite, Sawyer and Garcia each had two hits apiece with Vite and Garcia both posting a pair of RBIs. Seven Peacocks registered a hit in the game.
 
Kody Jones suffered the loss for UMary after throwing five innings and allowing four runs, three earned, on eight hits.
 
The two teams will be back on the field in Bismarck, N.D. on Sunday, Apr. 10 at 12 p.m. for the third and final game of the series.