Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

FAYETTE, Iowa – John Bezdicek struck out a career-high 14 batters, tossing a three-hit, seven-inning shutout in leading Southwest Minnesota State to a 2-0 victory over Upper Iowa in game one of a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference at Robertson Woods Field on Sunday. Upper Iowa bounced back to split the doubleheader with a 12-3 victory in game two.
 
The three-game series was scheduled to be played at Alumni Field in Marshall, but was moved due to poor field conditions. SMSU serves as the "home" team for the series, which will concluded on Monday with a 12 p.m. nine-inning game.
 
In the opener, Bezdicek (1-2) was dominate as the Peacocks didn't advance a runner to second base until the sixth inning. UIU put together a rally in the seventh as the first two batters reached on a single and hit by pitch. Bezdicek worked out of the jam as he coaxed a fielder's choice and struck out the final two batters of the game including leaving the tying run on second base.
 
SMSU (4-13, 3-9 NSIC) was held to just four hits, but three came in the second inning, as the Mustangs took a 1-0 lead. Jayden Fleck and Tanner Strommen both singled with one out before Brady Lanoue hit a run-scoring single up the middle to put SMSU in the lead.
 
It remained a 1-0 game until the sixth when SMSU used one hit and took advantage of two UIU errors to score a big insurance run. With two outs, Jayden Fleck reached on an error and would move to third on a single by Strommen. Lanoue then reached on an error by the UIU third baseman to score the game's second run.
 
Strommen finished the game with two of SMSU's four hits.
 
In game two, SMSU opened the scoring in the home half of the third as Andy Andresen laid down a sac bunt to score Kuhn, who opened the inning with walk, to give the Mustangs a 1-0 advantage.
 
UIU (7-10, 4-8 NSIC) answered right back in the top of the fourth with four runs (two unearned) on four hits and two SMSU errors to take a 4-1 lead.
 
SMSU cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the fourth as Lanoue started the frame with a single and later scored on a sac fly by Kuhn.
 
The Peacocks put the game away off the Mustang bullpen in the seventh, pushing across six runs on five hits to extend the lead to 10-2.
 
SMSU scored its final run of the game in the eighth as Strommen hit a lead-off double and scored moments later on a wild pitch.
 
UIU held a 15-9 advantage in hits with Emmett Kulick recording three hits, including a home run and a double along with three RBIs to pace the Peacocks.
 
Connor Johnson and Derek Smith each finished with two hits for the Mustangs.
 
Cole Petersen (0-4) started on the bump for the Mustangs and lasted six innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits with four strikeouts.