TAHLEQUAH, Okla. - The Upper Baseball team (1-2) ended the opening weekend with its first win of the season against Northeastern State (2-2). The Peacock offense totaled 11 hits while the pitching staff added 10 strikeouts.

Kyle Hrncir got the start on the mound after two days of basketball. He got the win by prearrangement, throwing the opening four innings of the game. He totaled five strikeouts while allowing one hit, two walks and two earned runs. 

Cael Luzum, Hunter Jones and Paul Safranski each had two hits for the Peacocks. Luzum and Safranski knocked in two runs as well. Jayce Klug had one hit and three RBIs. Brock Zimmer had a home run, and JJ Vargas knocked a double. 

Zimmer's home run was in the first inning, a solo shot to left field for the early 1-0 advantage. NSU tied the game in the bottom of the inning, and then took a 2-1 lead after a walk, two fielders' choices and a passed ball.

The Peacocks regained the advantage in the fourth inning, starting with a Jones single and a Klug walk. After a pitch hit Safranski to load the bases, Luzum walked to tie the game. On the next at-bat, Gabe Bombardier reached on a fielder's choice to bring Klug in, and Safrasnki scored on a throwing error by the shortstop. That gave the Peacocks a 4-2 lead. 

A solo home run by Jackson Dillingham in the fourth cut the lead to 4-3, the closest it would be for the rest of the game. The Peacocks exploded in the seventh inning, scoring four runs. 

Vargas walked, Thane Meiners singled and Mason Gamboa walked to load the bases. Another Klug walk brought in a run. After that, Safranski singled to right-center field to bring in two more runs. Luzum hit a single up the middle to bring another in for the 8-3 advantage. 

A Vargas double, a Meiners walk and a Klug single up the middle added two more runs in the eighth. NSU added a run in the ninth off a double, a single and an error. Landon Boisen kept his composure on the mound to strike out Dillingham for the last out of the day. 

Dylan Hesch pitched three innings for the Peacocks, giving up two hits, no runs, two walks and striking out one batter. Hudson Ivey pitched the eighth inning, recording two strikeouts. Boisen totaled two strikeouts in the ninth.

NSU was held to five total hits, two of which from Dillingham and two others from Gannon White. The Peacocks were walked 11 times compared to six by the Riverhawks. UIU left 12 runners on base while Northeastern left 10 on base. Each team committed an error. 

Upper Iowa travels next weekend to Wichita, Kansas, for a four-game series against Newman (Kan.) (1-4). The Peacocks play at 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 13, 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14 and 12 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 15.