The Peacock baseball team posted a double header sweep over Concordia University, St. Paul on Tuesday in Fayette marking the second straight year that UIU has claimed both games of the double header with CSP. Upper Iowa used a huge first inning in game one to claim an 11-2 win and then backed it up with a 7-6 win in game two to claim the sweep and move their win streak to three straight games. After the victories, UIU improved to 14-21 overall and 10-14 in the NSIC, while CSP falls to 15-18 overall and 11-9 in the conference.
 
In the bottom of the first inning of game one, the Peacocks exploded for nine runs on five hits, two walks and an error. Ethan Sawyer brought the first run home with a sacrifice bunt and then two more scored on a triple to right center by Brock Zimmer. Victor Plaz made it 4-0 with a sac fly. When the lineup turned over for Ryan Hull's second at bat of the inning, the bases were loaded. Hull delivered with a two-run single to left and then came home on a three-run home run by Cael Luzum to put the home team ahead 9-0. Only three of the nine runs were earned after a fielding error opened the gate to the big inning.
 
The Golden Bears scored their only two runs of the game in the second inning when the five of the first six batters in the frame reached base on a hit or walk. A single by Justin McGuigan and a wild pitch allowed the two runs, but the Peacocks made a change on the mound and Sam Marhefke came on in relief to record the final two outs and get out of the jam. Samuel Grushkin homered in the third inning to plate Justin Baehler and push Upper Iowa's advantage to 11-2.
 
CSP loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh inning, but a final strike out by Marhefke ended the game and stranded the three Golden Bear base runners.
 
Marhefke (1-2) scattered four hits across 5.2 scoreless innings in relief of UIU starter Colin Lacey. Lacey allowed two runs on three hits in 1.1 innings with a pair of punch outs. Marhefke registered seven strikeouts to score his first win of the season.
 
At the plate, UIU got two hits apiece from Luzum, Zimmer, Bryce Hall and Justin Baehler. Luzum had a team-high three runs batted in.
 
In the second game, the Golden Bears jumped out to a 3-0 lead behind four hits in the top of the first off Peacock starter Gabe Olson. The freshman righty was able to get out of the first without any further damage and then held the visitors off the scoreboard in the second and third keeping UIU within striking distance.
 
Upper Iowa scored a run in the third after Grushkin led off with a single and later scored on a throwing error on the infield. The Peacocks cut the gap to 3-2 with another run in the fourth inning when Luzum tripled with two outs and then came home when Bryce Hall stole second and forced a rushed throw that ended up in centerfield.
 
Isaiah Maes threw well in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings in relief and cooled the Golden Bear bats down. In the bottom of the sixth, UIU scored four runs on four hits and one CSP error to rally from behind and take a 6-3 lead. After Zimmer and Luzum both singled, a sac bunt by Bryce Hall was mishandled on the infield and allowed Zimmer to come home. Grushkin followed with his second long ball of the day; this time three runs scored on his home run to center. With no outs, the Peacocks got a single by Caden White and Kyle Hrncir was hit by a pitch to set UIU up with runners on second and third after a wild pitch. The Peacocks couldn't take advantage and recorded three straight outs with any scratching the scoreboard again.
 
The Golden Bears quickly tied the score at 6-6 with three runs on three hits including a big two-run triple off the bat of Nick Thimsen. Thimsen came in to score on the play after a relay throw hit the runner sliding into third and ended up in the UIU dugout which allowed Thimsen to walk home and tie the game. Maes used a strikeout and a fly out to left field to move out of the inning.
 
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Hrncir opened the frame with a walk and moved to second on a sac bunt from Ryan Hull. Sawyer delivered with a seeing-eye single through the left side and Hrncir came home with the eventual game-winning run.
 
JJ Vargas (1-0) worked the eighth and ninth innings on the mound for Upper Iowa and threw two innings to earn his first win of the season. Vargas did not allow a run or hit in the eighth and ninth innings and recorded three strikeouts. Maes threw four innings and allowed three runs on four hits with three strikeouts.
 
Eric Lundell (2-2) took the loss after surrendering the go-ahead run in the eighth.
 
Both Luzum and Grushkin had a pair of hits in the second game. Luzum tallied four hits on the day including two singles and triple and a home run.
 
The Peacocks will head to Sioux Falls, S.D. for a three-game series with Augustana University on Apr. 22-23.