WICHITA, Kan. - The Peacock baseball team (4-3) split two seven-inning games on Sunday against Newman (Kan.) (2-7) at Pratt Community College. Gabe Bombardier continued his monster weekend, batting 4-of-8 on Sunday with a double, grand slam and seven RBIs. UIU won game one, 15-3, and lost game two, 6-2.
Bombardier finished the weekend with seven hits, two doubles, two home runs and 13 RBIs. He slashed .412/.474/.882 in total. The senior had an RBI double in the third inning, a grand slam and a 2RBI single in the fourth inning in game one on Sunday.
Sophomore pitcher Dylan Hesch got the win on the mound for the Peacocks in game one. He started the game, pitching four innings with five strikeouts. He allowed five hits, three earned runs, one walk and one hit-by-pitch.
Thane Meiners totaled three hits on the day, leading the team with two in the second game. Cael Luzum smacked two doubles and scored three times. Jayce Klug walked four times and scored thrice.
Hunter Jones, Brock Zimmer and Jared Hoodjer each had two hits with a home run and two RBIs. Jones tallied his first homer as a Peacock. Paul Safranski had two hits and knocked in an RBI.
Isaiah Maes started game two and pitched four innings. He allowed four hits, one walk and three earned runs. He also threw three strikeouts. Cameron Powell totaled two strikeouts, pitching one inning.
The Peacocks are in action next weekend for a three-game series against Purdue Northwest (Ind.) in Hammond, Indiana. The Peacocks and Pride start the series on Friday, Feb. 20 at 1 p.m.
Game 1: Upper Iowa 15, Newman 3
Bombardier brought in the first run of the game in the third inning with an RBI double to lead, 1-0. The Jets responded in the bottom of the inning, scoring two runs on four hits. Zac Becker hit a 2RBI single to give NU a 2-1 lead.
UIU had a monster fourth inning, starting with a Jones single and a Hoodjer 2RBI homer to lead, 3-2. A Klug walk, Safranski single and Luzum walk loaded the bases, setting up Bombardier for a grand slam. Zimmer immediately followed up with a solo homer to lead, 8-2.
After a Meiners single, Jones smacked the fourth home run of the inning to center field for another two runs. Hodjer doubled and Safranski brought him in with an RBI single. Bombardier knocked a 2RBI single and JJ Vargas brought in another run with a bases-loaded walk to lead, 14-2.
The Peacocks scored 13 runs on 10 hits in the inning. This marked the most runs for the program in a single inning since at least 2010. The previous highest mark in the last 15 years was 11 against Missouri S&T on April 27, 2025.
A Luzum double and Zimmer RBI groundout scored the 15th run of the game in the sixth. Newman's Anthony Cannavino had a solo homer in the fourth inning.
Hesch picked up the win on the mound after starting with four innings pitched and five strikeouts. Jacob Topp pitched two innings with a strikeout while allowing one hit and one walk. Matt Hughes pitched the final inning, allowing a hit.
Each Peacock batter reached base. Bombardier led the team with three hits and seven RBIs. Luzum, Jones, Hoodjer and Safranski each had two hits. Klug walked a team-high four times.
UIU outhit Newman, 14-7. Neither team committed an error. The Peacocks walked eight times compared to only two for the Jets.
Game 2: Newman 6, Upper Iowa 2
UIU was held scoreless for the first six innings. Newman scored two runs in the first inning, a run in the second inning and three runs in the fifth inning.
The Peacocks got on the board in the seventh inning. Meiners hit a two-out single to center field, scoring Zimmer and Bombardier.
Meiners finished with a team-high two hits and two RBIs. Zimmer and Bombardier recorded a hit. Newman outhit Upper Iowa, 5-4, and walked twice compared to one walk for UIU.
Maes took the loss on the mound, pitching four innings in the start with three strikeouts. He gave up four hits, three earned runs and a walk. Cameron Powell totaled two strikeouts in the sixth inning.
Frank Fabian got the win for Newman, pitching a complete game. He allowed four hits, two runs, zero earned runs, a walk and threw four strikeouts. Kanyan Kaku totaled a hit and a team-high three RBIs for the Jets.
