JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Upper Iowa (9-10, 2-0 GLVC) picked up its second doubleheader sweep of the season to start GLVC play undefeated against Lincoln (Mo.) (4-13, 0-6 GLVC). Jared Hoodjer had a day for the Peacocks, batting 5-for-6 with a double, a home run and seven RBIs.
The senior had a .833 batting average, a .889 on-base percentage and a 1.500 slugging percentage on the day. He was 3-for-3 in game two with the double, home run and seven RBIs. He also scored seven times and walked three times.
Jayce Klug had a solid 3-for-5 line with a double, a triple and four RBIs. He also walked three times and was hit-by-pitch once. Hunter Jones smacked four hits with a double, a home run and four RBIs. The redshirt freshman totaled three hits and all four RBIs in game one.
Brock Zimmer, Thane Meiners and JJ Vargas each had three hits and an RBI. Vargas had two hits with a solo home run in game one. Cael Luzum also had two hits and four RBIs after a 3RBI double in game two.
On the mound, Dylan Hesch got the win in game two after tossing six strikeouts and not allowing any runs in four innings. He gave up four hits and four walks. Gabe Olson got the win in game one after throwing five strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched, improving his record to 4-0.
Brett Nicodemus entered in relief in game one and tallied his first save of the season. He pitched 3.2 innings while allowing two hits and three walks without any runs being scored. The sophomore also tallied three strikeouts.
The Peacocks and the Blue Tigers wrap up the series on Saturday with a doubleheader at noon at Vivion Field.
Game One: Upper Iowa 11, Lincoln 4
Lincoln took an early lead in the first inning, starting with a double, a bunt single and a sacrifice fly to take a 1-0 lead. Easton Stuckenschneider then smacked a two-run homer to take a 3-0 lead.
UIU got on the board after Klug walked, stole second and was brought home on a Meiners RBI single. Vargas led off the fourth inning with a solo homer to trail, 3-2.
After a Hoodjer single, Jones hammered the go-ahead home run to left field. Paul Safranski and Klug singled after that, allowing Luzum to bring Safranski home on a fielder's choice, capping off the four-run inning.
Lincoln's Blythe Blakey hit a solo homer to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning, and the Peacocks responded with two runs in the top of the fifth. Zimmer led off the inning with a double, Hoodjer walked and Jones hit a 2RBI single for the 7-4 advantage.
A Zimmer RBI double in the sixth inning added a run for the 8-4 lead. Lincoln threatened in the bottom of the inning after a hit-by-pitch and two walks loaded the bases. Nicodemus subbed in with the bases loaded and got back-to-back strikeouts to leave the runners stranded.
In the seventh, Hoodjer walked and Safranski singled, setting up Klug for a 2RBI double. The 11th run came in the ninth after a Hoodjer single, Jones double and Safranski sacrifice fly.
Jones totaled a team-high three hits with a double, home run and four RBIs. Hoodjer was 2-for-3 with two walks and scored four times. Zimmer, Meiners, Safranski and Klug all also had two hits.
Olson picked up the win on the mound after pitching the first 5.1 innings with five strikeouts. He allowed four earned runs on six hits and four walks. Nicodemus tallied the save after coming in with the bases loaded, totaling three strikeouts. The sophomore allowed no runs on two hits and three walks.
UIU outhit the Blue Tigers 15-8 and Lincoln had the game's only error. The Blue Tigers left 10 runners on base compared to seven for UIU.
Game Two: Upper Iowa 14, Lincoln 4
The Peacocks struck first in the second after a Gabe Bombardier single and Hoodjer double for the first run of the game. Klug later hit a two-out triple, scoring Hoodjer for the 2-0 lead. UIU got out of a no-out, bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the inning after getting an out at home and two Hesch strikeouts.
Upper Iowa used that momentum to fuel the bats in the third inning. With the bases loaded, Hoodjer hit a 2RBI single to center field. Later, Klug walked to bring in a run, and Luzum hit a 3RBI double down the right field line for the 8-0 advantage. Hesch got out of another bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the inning with a seven-pitch strikeout on the final at-bat of the frame.
Jones added an RBI single in the eighth to bring in another run. After two HBPs and a walk in the fifth, Vargas brought in the 10th run on a sacrifice fly. With the bases loaded, Hoodjer smacked a grand slam to get the 14-0 advantage. Lincoln scored two runs in the fifth and two runs in the sixth to finish the game with a loss, 14-4.
Hoodjer was 3-for-3 with a walk, double, home run and seven RBIs. Every other Peacock starter recorded a hit, and Bombardier was the only one to walk twice.
Hesch got the win after pitching four scoreless innings with six strikeouts. He allowed four hits and four walks, improving his record to 2-0 this season.
Marcus Champagne, Dalton Dibert and Jacob Topp all pitched an inning in relief. Champagne totaled two strikeouts while Topp didn't give up a hit, walk or run after gettting three groundouts in the seventh inning.
The Peacocks outhit the Blue Tigers 11-6 while UIU committed two errors to LU's one. The Blue Tigers left 12 runners stranded compared to six for the Peacocks. The Lincoln pitching staff totaled five strikeouts while UIU's totaled eight.
