April 1, 2008

Game One Box Score || Game Two Box Score

The Peacock baseball team opened their home season today and split a double header with the Beavers of Bemidji State. Upper Iowa won game one by a 3-2 score thanks to the arm and bat of Lucas Wilsing. In game two, Bemidji State spoiled a decent outing by Andy Seabrooke and held the Upper Iowa offense at bay to win 3-1. Both teams are .500 in NSIC action; UIU is 5-5, while BSU is 4-4.

In game one, the Beavers put the first run on the board in the top of the second inning, but Wilsing gave the Peacocks the lead in the bottom of the third. With two outs, Brock Spangenberg reached first on an infield single. Wilsing stepped to the plate next and took a high pitch and turned it around in a hurry. The ball carried toward the flagpole in right center field and left Robertson Woods Field over the wall for a two-run homer.

The Peacocks added an insurance run in the fourth. Erik Sorensen hit a double to center with one out and moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Seth Fox. The Peacock shortstop scored when Kreston Albright singled up the middle as Upper Iowa took a 3-1 lead.

Bemidji State closed the gap to one run in the top of the sixth. The Beavers used a pair of singles around a hit batsmen to score the run. Brian Putnam took the mound for the Peacocks in the top of the seventh and closed the door on the visitors to secure the victory for the home team.

Wilsing earned the win after throwing 6 innings while allowing two runs on 7 hits. The sophomore struck out 8, walked 2 and hit 2 to get his first win of the 2008 season. Putnam picked up his first save of the year with a scoreless inning. Putnam allowed two hits to the five batters he faced in the seventh.

At the plate, while Wilsing had the biggest hit, Albright had a good game tallying 3 hits in 4 at bats. Spangenberg had two hits in his two at bats.

In game two, both starting pitchers held the offenses in check through the first three innings. UIU's Seabrooke matched up with BSU's Kevin Morel on the mound. Through the first three innings, Seabrooke gave up two hits, while Morel only allowed one.

Upper Iowa pushed the first run of the game across in the fourth inning. Nick Fjelland opened the inning with a walk and moved to second when Marcus Thompson singled sharply back through the box. Spangenberg began his at bat looking to lay down a bunt and move the runners up a base, but Coach Mark Danker took the sacrifice bunt off. After the Peacock first basemen took a brush back pitch high and tight, he sent the next offering deep off the wall in left field. When the dust settled the Peacocks had a run on the board with runners on second and third and no outs in the inning. Upper Iowa was staring at an opportunity to blow the game wide open.

Morel gathered himself and fought back to stop the Peacocks. Wilsing struck out on a very generous third strike call by the home plate umpire for the first out. T.J. Johnson was next up and hit a fly ball to right but the catch was made in shallow right and the runners could not advance. Ronnie Kurihara worked a walk to load the bases with two outs, but Sorensen flied out to left for the final out.

Bemidji used the momentum of the stop in the next at bat scoring two runs on three hits. The biggest hit of the inning came off the bat of Justin Huether on a two-run single to left. Upper Iowa continued to trail by one run after stranding two runners on base in the sixth after Thompson led off the inning with a double and moved to third with just one out. Bemidji added another run in the top of the seventh to pad their lead, 3-1.

With two outs in the seventh, Albright reached second on a double that just found the one hole in the outfield the defense just couldn't get to on a high pop up. The Peacocks couldn't drive the center fielder in though and lost the game.

Seabrooke took the loss after throwing 6 innings while allowing 2 runs on 5 hits while striking out 4 Beaver batters. Gavin Mason pitched an inning of relief allowing an unearned run without giving up a hit. At the plate, Thompson went 2-3 in game two, while Albright, Spangenberg, and Sorensen were the only other Peacocks to rap out a hit.

Upper Iowa (7-17 / 5-5 NSIC) will remain at home this weekend as they host the Wolves of Northern State. The four-game series will be played at Robertson Woods Field in Fayette on Saturday, Apr. 5, and Sunday, Apr. 6. Saturday's double header will begin at 1 p.m., while Sunday's action will start at noon.