Upper Iowa dropped a pair of games as the visitor at Robertson Woods Field in Fayette to Southwest Minnesota State University on Sunday. The Peacocks grabbed an early 2-0 lead in game one, but lost 3-2 in the eighth inning before the Mustangs controlled the action in game two winning 15-2 in seven innings. UIU falls to 10-12 overall and 6-5 in the NSIC, while SMSU improved to 14-8 overall and 6-6 in the conference.
 
The Peacocks put two runs on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning of game one and had SMSU on the ropes, but Mustang starter Ryan Chmielewski bounced back after the rough start and stranded three Peacocks on base with a strikeout to end the inning without giving up a big number. JJ Vargas doubled off the wall with one out to get things started and then three walks including a bases loaded pass to Bryce Hall brought the first run in. Brock Zimmer followed with a single to left to bring in a second run, but a final strike out left the bases loaded.
 
Southwest Minnesota State cut the margin in half in the bottom of the second inning without a hit as Peacock starter Jarrett Ramer ran into control issues loading the bases with a pair of walks and a hit batter. A sac fly by Caleb Gardow chased one run home and left runners on second and third with one out. Ramer worked out of the jam with a line out and a ground out to keep the one-run lead.
 
In the fifth inning, a walk to open the inning was followed by a one-out, double to the gap in left center just out of the reach of Ryan Hull. The hit was just the second of the game for SMSU and pushed the tying run across the plate. Sam Marhefke entered the game and worked out of the inning in relief of Ramer.
 
A sacrifice bunt with one out in the top of the sixth was thrown away by the Mustangs setting the Peacocks up with a pair of runners in scoring position. After a pitching change, SMSU got out of the jam without surrendering the go-ahead run thanks to a ground out and a pop fly on the infield. In the seventh, UIU put runners on first and second with no outs in the seventh, but the Mustangs jumped on an attempted sacrifice to get a force out at third base. After a foul flyball, Zimmer laced a line drive down the line in left, but Robbie Smith laid out and came up with a game-saving catch that would have brought home two runs to UIU ahead.
 
Marhefke threw with precision as he worked out of the fifth and through the sixth and seventh innings. As the game moved to extra innings, the Peacock closer opened the eighth inning with a strike out and routine fly out to center, but Keenan Wenzel got the barrel of his bat to a low slider and hit it over the fence in left field for the game-winning, walk off home run as SMSU claimed a 3-2 win.
 
Marhefke (0-1) suffered the hard luck loss after 3.1 innings of relief allowing one run on two hits with five strikeouts. Ramer took a no-decision with 4.1 innings allowing two runs on two hits and five walks.
 
Brady Brosz (1-0) scored the win in relief with 2.0 scoreless innings with two walks and a strikeout. Chmielewski went five innings with two runs allowed on three hits, six walks and seven strikeouts.
 
In the second game, the Peacocks struggled to shake off the abrupt end of game one, while the Mustangs were able to fuel off the momentum and jump on the scoreboard early. A home run by Jaxon Haase got the scoring started in the first inning and then SMSU added four runs on four hits in each trip to the plate in the second, fourth and fifth innings.
 
Victor Plaz picked up an RBI in the sixth inning with a bases loaded ground out that allowed Dylan McVeigh to come home and Daniel Thiessen was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the seventh as UIU put their second notch on the scoreboard.
 
SMSU's final runs came on the back of a two-run homer off the bat of Chase McDaniel to set their final total at 15.
 
Keaton Parker (1-3) took the loss after three innings allowing five runs on six hits and four walks with two strikeouts. Five more pitchers climbed the hill for UIU, but none escaped the SMSU scoring as the Mustangs combined for 16 hits and six walks to score their 15 runs.
 
Ansen Dulas (2-1) threw five innings to get the win allowing just two hits while shutting out the Peacocks with six strikeouts.
 
Upper Iowa and Southwest Minnesota State will get together for one more game to close out their series on Monday afternoon at 12 p.m. in Fayette.