JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The Peacock baseball team (11-10, 4-0 GLVC) recorded its first sweep in conference play since joining the GLVC with two wins on Saturday against Lincoln (Mo.) (4-15, 0-8 GLVC). This marked the first series sweep for the Peacocks since 2023 against Winona State (Minn.).
Jared Hoodjer totaled five hits with two home runs, a double and 10 RBIs for the Peacocks on the day. He finished the weekend with 10 hits, two doubles, three home runs and 17 RBIs.
Cael Luzum totaled a team-high six hits after going 6-for-9 at the plate. He also had two doubles. Thane Meiners was 5-for-6 for a .833 batting average with a double, an RBI and three walks. Brock Zimmer added three hits, a home run and six RBIs.
Jayce Klug also had three hits with his first career home run in game one and two RBIs. Gabe Bombardier totaled three hits, a double and three RBIs.
Landon Boisen and Kyle Hrncir picked up wins on the mound. Hrncir pitched six innings in game one, totaling seven strikeouts while allowing six hits, three walks and one earned run. Boisen pitched 2.1 innings in relief in game two, allowing one hit, no walks, no runs and tossing three strikeouts.
The Peacocks are scheduled for home games in Fayette next weekend against Maryville (Mo.) (10-10, 4-0 GLVC). The first game on Friday is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Robertson Woods Field with a Saturday doubleheader at 1 p.m. and a Sunday game at noon.
Game One: Upper Iowa 15, Lincoln 3
Luzum doubled, Meiners singled and Zimmer walked to start the game. JJ Vargas hit an infield fly, allowing Luzum to score after the ball hit the ground. Hoodjer then hit a 2RBI single through the left side, giving the Peacocks a 3-0 lead.
Hunter Jones reached on an error in the third inning to score Zimmer, extending the lead to 4-0. The Peacocks then exploded for eight runs in the fourth inning, starting with Luzum and Meiners hitting back-to-back doubles to score a run.
A Zimmer single through the left side scored Meiners. After Vargas wore a pitch and Bombardier singled, Hoodjer scored Vargas on a fielder's choice. Bombardier stole home, and Hoodjer scored on a wild pitch for a 10-0 lead.
After Paul Safranski was hit-by-pitch, Klug knocked a two-run homer to extend the lead to 12-0. In the fifth inning, Vargas was hit-by-pitch and Bombardier walked to set up a three-run homer by Hoodjer for the 15-0 lead. Lincoln got on the board with a run in the fifth and two runs in the seventh to fall to the Peacocks, 15-3.
UIU totaled 11 hits to Lincoln's seven, with the Blue Tigers committing three errors and the Peacocks committing two. Both teams left 11 runners on base. The Peacocks were walked seven times, and LU was walked five times.
Hrncir and Austin Shingledecker totaled 10 strikeouts between them. Hrncir threw seven in six innings while allowing one earned run, six hits and a walk. Shingledecker pitched the final inning, allowing two runs with one earned run on a hit and two walks. The graduate also tallied three strikeouts.
Luzum was 3-for-4 with two doubles and scored two runs. Meiners was 2-for-3, and Hoodjer was 2-for-4. Hoodjer totaled a home run and six RBIs. Klug was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer.
Game Two: Upper Iowa 15, Lincoln 8
Lincoln's Andy Sreboski IV homered to right field on Lincoln's opening at-bat of the game for a 1-0 lead. The Peacocks loaded the bases in the third inning with a Klug walk, Luzum single and Meiners walk. Zimmer tied the game, bringing in a run on a fielder's choice to shortstop. The Peacocks took a 2-1 lead on a Hoodjer solo homer to start the fourth inning.
The Blue Tigers struck back with a Daren Walters-Ansell two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth for a 3-2 lead. Luzum, Meiners and Zimmer all singled to start the fifth inning, tying the game at 3-3. Bombardier then doubled to retake the lead, 5-3. A Hoodjer sacrifice fly extended the lead to 6-3.
The game remained that way until the bottom of the seventh. Lincoln had a five-run inning with an Easton Stuckenschneider home run, a Carson Erwin RBI single and a Nolan Laughlin 2RBI single to lead, 8-6. The Blue Tigers had six hits in the inning.
After Klug walked, Luzum singled and Zimmer walked to load the bases in the bottom of the eighth, Vargas hit a sacrifice fly into left field to score a run. Bombardier then reached on a throwing error, bringing in Luzum to tie the game at 8-8. Hoodjer hit the go-ahead two-out 2RBI double to lead, 10-8.
Boisen got three straight outs in the bottom of the eighth, all on strikeouts. Zimmer smacked a three-run homer in the ninth, and Safranski brought in two runs after reaching on a throwing error to lead, 15-8. The Peacocks got a double play and a flyout to Luzum to right field in the ninth to seal the win. UIU totaled nine runs in the last two innings.
The Peacocks outhit the Blue Tigers 14-10, and Lincoln committed all five of the game's errors. Upper Iowa left 11 stranded, and Lincoln left eight stranded. UIU walked seven times while LU walked four times. The Blue Tiger batters struck out 13 times, while the Peacock batters struck out five times.
Meiners was 3-for-3, Luzum was 3-for-5 and Hoodjer was 3-for-5 to lead the Peacocks in hitting. Zimmer totaled two hits and five RBIs, while Hoodjer had four RBIs. Klug walked a team-high four times.
Boisen got the win after pitching 2.1 innings of relief, improving his record to 2-0. He totaled three strikeouts, didn't allow a run or walk and allowed one hit. Isaiah Maes started the game, throwing five strikeouts and allowing three earned runs in four innings. Tyler Glowacki totaled five strikeouts in 2.2 innings pitched.
