Peacock baseball erased a late four-run deficit going into the ninth inning and later erupted for eight runs in the 10th inning to take down McKendree 19–11 in an extra-inning thriller on Saturday afternoon. The game four victory saw UIU improve to 16-21 overall and 11-13 in conference play.
Ethan Sawyer eclipsed his 200th career hit after going 3-for-6 in today's outing, including a double. Sawyer led the squad with four RBIs, while Thane Meiners and Jared Grams complemented his performance with three hits apiece in the afternoon contest.
Trailing 11-7 entering the ninth, UIU sparked a comeback that would turn into a statement win. Jared Hoodjer delivered a key RBI single before Sawyer ripped a two-run single to left, pulling the Peacocks within one. Gunnar Wicklund tied it up with a sacrifice fly to center, sending the game into extras deadlocked at 11–11.
Upper Iowa took full control in the top of the 10th. Thane Meiners led off the inning with a solo home run to right-center, putting UIU in front for the first time all day, 12-11. From there, Sawyer added two more RBIs with a double into the gap in left-center, and Wicklund followed with a three-run home run to center to break the game open and lead 17-11. After a walk and a single, Meiners returned to the plate and delivered his second homer of the inning; a two-run blast to left-center, capping an eight-run explosion that stunned the home team and gave Upper Iowa a commanding lead.
Earlier in the game, Grams started the scoring for UIU with a solo home run to center in the second inning and came up big again in the third with a two-RBI single to pull the Peacocks within two runs at 6-4. Brock Zimmer added a solo home run in the fifth, his sixth of the season, to trim the deficit to 8–5. UIU kept the pressure on in the seventh, pushing across two runs on a fielder's choice and a sacrifice fly to make it 8-7 before McKendree extended the lead again.
The Peacocks' bullpen came up strong in the late innings, holding McKendree scoreless in the ninth and tenth innings to give the offense a chance to go to work.
William Kiburis picked up his second win on the mound after putting in three innings of relief. He allowed three hits and two runs without walking a single batter and ringing up two.
Peacock baseball is back in action next weekend, hitting the road to take on Missouri, St. Louis April 17-19.
