WEST LIBERTY, Iowa - Upper Iowa baseball (7-7) picked up an 11-0 victory over Wisconsin-Parkside (8-5) on Saturday night at West Liberty High School. Gabe Olson and Dylan Hesch combined for 11 strikeouts in the seven-inning shutout victory. 

After Olson struck out two batters in the top of the opening inning, the Peacocks got the bats rolling right away in the bottom of the first. Cael Luzum hit a leadoff double, and Thane Meiners walked. Gabe Bombardier brought them both in with a 2RBI double. On the next at bat, JJ Vargas hit a two-run homer, putting the Peacocks up 4-0 early. 

After two more Olson strikeouts in the second, the Peacocks scored a run in the bottom of the inning. Jayce Klug singled and stole a base while Luzum reached on a dropped fly ball by the left fielder, bringing Klug in for the score. 

The game remained 5-0 until the fifth inning. Bombardier walked, Vargas singled and Jared Hoodjer walked to load the bases. Hunter Jones knocked a 2RBI single down the left field line, and Klug knocked a 2RBI triple down the right field line for the 9-0 advantage. 

Klug later scored on a wild pitch for the 10-0 lead. A balk in the sixth inning brought in Zimmer for the 11th run. 

Olson improved his record to 3-0 on the season in the victory, throwing a season-high seven strikeouts in five innings. He gave up three hits and walked four batters. 

Hesch struck out four batters in eight at-bats in two innings pitched. He walked two batters and allowed two hits. This tied his second-highest strikeout total in an appearance this season. 

Vargas and Klug each led the Peacocks with two hits and two RBIs. Vargas had his fourth homer, and Klug had his first triple of the season. Bombardier reached in all four of his plate appearances with a 2RBI double and three walks. 

Jones totaled a hit and two RBIs. Luzum had a double and scored a run. Jared Hoodjer and Meiners both walked twice and scored a run.

Benjamin Loyd was the top batter for Parkside with two hits in four at-bats. Josh Wicker had the team's lone extra-base hit with a double. The Rangers totaled five hits, while UIU had seven hits. Nathan Cienmy took the loss for the Rangers, allowing five hits and six walks, but throwing eight strikeouts. 

Both teams had an error. Parkside struck out 11 times while UIU struck out 10 times. The Rangers left 12 runners on base compared to six for the Peacocks. 

UIU and UWP are back in action tomorrow at West Liberty High School at 6 p.m. for game two of the series. It is scheduled for a nine-inning game. The series wraps up on Monday with a pair of seven-inning games.