Upper Iowa (9-9, 5-2 NSIC) swept the first two games of their three-game series with the University of Minnesota Duluth (10-10, 3-4 NSIC). The Peacocks played as the visitors on their own field in Fayette after the series was moved to Fayette due to snow coverage in Duluth.
 
The wins, 4-3 in game one and 12-8 in game two, pushed Upper Iowa's win streak to five-straight victories and brought the Peacocks into fifth place in the NSIC standings. The Peacocks powered their way to the wins with 24 hits including three doubles, a triple and a home run and added 11 walks and 10 hit batsmen for a total of 21 extra runners on the base paths. While the Peacock offense was collecting bases all day, the four UIU pitchers allowed 15 hits and only issued seven walks and hit two batters while striking out 17 Bulldogs.
 
Upper Iowa and Minnesota Duluth will line up for a final game in their series on Sunday, Mar. 26. The game was originally scheduled for 12 p.m., but has been pushed back to a 1 p.m. start due to predicted temperatures.
 
Game One: Upper Iowa 4 – Minnesota Duluth 3
 
Upper Iowa scored three runs in the top of the third inning and only notched one hit in the frame. Three walks around the single by Sawyer; the third walk was taken by Bryce Hall to force the first run of the game across the plate. With the bases loaded and two down, Brock Zimmer swung through a wild pitch that got away and allowed a pair of baserunners to come home and move UIU's advantage to 3-0. The Peacocks added to their lead with a run in the fourth when Victor Plaz singled up the middle to send Cael Luzum home from third.
 
UMD got their only run off starter Jarrett Ramer in the sixth inning when Alex Wattermann singled to right to drive in Ethan Cole, who doubled earlier in the inning. Ramer got out of the sixth inning with a strike out and ground out to keep a three-run lead in tact with one inning to play. In the seventh, the Bulldogs climbed within one, 4-3, when Cole hit a two-run home run to left field, but Sam Marhefke was able to settle down and get the final out of the inning on a foul flyout to the catcher.
 
Sawyer led UIU at the plate with three hits, while Luzum and Justin Baehler both tallied a pair of hits in the first game. The Peacocks earned five walks and were hit in the batter's box three times for eight extra runners on base.
 
Ramer moved to 3-0 on the year after picking up the win with six innings of work. He allowed one run on five hits and four walks while striking out five Bulldogs. Marhefke posted his fifth save of the season despite allowing two runs on the one hit in his inning of work.
 
Brayden Buttweler (3-1) suffered his first loss in 3.1 innings on the bump; he allowed four runs on five hits with four walks and four strikeouts.
 
Game Two: Upper Iowa 12 – Minnesota Duluth 8
 
The Peacocks raced out to an 8-0 lead after the first three innings and chased the Bulldog starter early thanks to six hits, three walks and three hit batters. Upper Iowa erupted for six runs in the second inning behind four hits and three walks. The first run came in after ball four got away and rolled to the back stop and a wild pitch allowed the second run to score. Ryan Hull pushed a run home with a bunt single to make it 3-0. With two outs, JJ Vargas hit a double to the gap in right center field to plate two more Peacocks and Sawyer closed the scoring in the inning with a RBI-single up the middle to send Vargas home.
 
In the third, Caden White doubled to left centerfield with the bases loaded to plate two more runs after a pair of hit batters sandwiched a Bryce Hall single to centerfield.
 
The Bulldogs rallied with five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning as the hitters found their rhythm against UIU starter Keaton Parker. UMD tallied three-straight singles to open the frame and scored the first run on a ground ball and then got a grand slam off the bat of Austin Gordon to cut the margin to three, 8-5.
 
Parker bounced back in the fifth inning with a quick 1-2-3 inning to reestablish his presence on the mound and UIU responded with a run in the sixth inning. Sawyer singled for the seventh time on the afternoon to open the inning, stole second and then came home with two outs when Hall tripled to right center.
 
UMD scored a pair of runs in the sixth to cut the margin back to two, 9-7, thanks to two hits and a pair of Peacock miscues in the field.
 
Upper Iowa wasted little time reestablishing a comfortable advantage in the top of the seventh. After a hit batter and a walk put two runners on base, Vargas hammered a long ball over the fence for a three-run homer, his team-high fifth of the season. The deep shot pushed the Peacock lead back to five, 12-7.
 
The Bulldogs scored one final run in the eighth inning after a pair of walks and an RBI-single from Tim Porkornowski.
 
Keaton Parker scored his first win of the season and improved to 1-2 after 5.2 innings of work. He allowed seven runs, only two earned, on seven hits with four strikeouts. Austin Shingledecker earned his second save with 3.1 innings of relief after surrendering one run on two hits while striking out seven Bulldogs.
 
Mason Thiel (0-2) suffered the loss after only lasting 1.2 innings after UIU's six run outburst in the second frame.
 
Sawyer added four more hits at the plate in the second game, while Vargas, Hall and Ryan Hull all had a pair of hits in the game. Vargas' five runs batted in fueled the Peacocks as they scored 12 runs in the game.