Box Score

FAYETTE, Iowa – Upper Iowa University rallied from a 6-0 deficit, scoring seven unanswered runs, including the game-winner in the bottom of the ninth on a throwing error, to defeat Southwest Minnesota State University 7-6 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference baseball on Sunday at Robertson Woods Field.
 
The victory earns a series win for UIU (3-4, 2-1 NSIC), which took two of three from SMSU (2-3, 1-2 NSIC) in the conference opening series for both squads. SMSU, which won the series opener on Saturday, held a 4-0 lead in game two yesterday and the six-run lead today, but the Peacocks rallied back both times to secure the wins.
 
The Mustang offense was held in check as nine Peacock pitchers combined to record 11 strikeouts and limit SMSU to just five hits.
 
SMSU took a 1-0 lead in the second as Matt Bezdicek was hit by a pitch to start the inning and later scored on a ground out by Derek Smith. In the fifth, Brodie Smith was hit by a pitch and moved to third on a single by Nathan Kuhn. In the ensuing at bat, Jake Hendricks struck out but on the throw to first base to record the strikeout, Smith sprinted home and just beat the tag to make the score 2-0.
 
SMSU took advantage of wild UIU pitching a pair of errors in the sixth to score four runs on just one hit. Derek Smith and Jaxon Haase walked to open the inning and both moved up one base following a sac bunt by Andy Andresen. Brodie Smith then followed with a two-run single to make the score 4-0. Smith would later move to third on a wild pitch and eventually score as Kuhn reached on a fielding error. Kuhn would advance to second on a wild pitch and then score on a failed pick-off attempt to extend the margin to 6-0.
 
SMSU was in control as starting pitcher Kolby Kiser tossed three shutout innings allowing just one hit with three strikeouts. John Bezdicek came on in relief in the fourth and struck out five of the first six batters he faced. UIU would finally breakthrough in the sixth scoring an unearned run to cut the lead to 6-1.
 
SMSU failed to add to the lead in the seventh, leaving a pair of runners on base, and UIU would counter with a two-run homer to cut the deficit in half at 6-3.
 
In the eighth, SMSU failed to add to the lead and stranded two more runners to keep UIU in the game. With two outs in the eighth, UIU's Samuel Grushkin tied the game at 6-6 with a three-run homer off Bezdicek.
 
SMSU failed to score in the ninth and UIU continued the comeback to earn the walk-off win. Jared Tschetter (0-1), who recorded the final out of the eighth, walked Ryan Hull to lead-off the ninth and Hull following stealing second. Tschetter retired the next two batters via strikeout and pop out but Hull would come across the plate moments as he sprinted to third on a pitch in the dirt and on the throw attempt to third the ball bounced away from the third baseman and Hull ran home for the winning run.
 
John Bezdicek, who didn't start in the series as he battled an illness, had seven strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings and allowed six hits and six runs (five earned).
 
Kuhn finished the day 2 for 3 with a run and an RBI, while Brodie Smith scored twice and drove in two runs.
 
Southwest Minnesota State returns to action on Wednesday with a conference doubleheader at Augustana starting at 1:30 p.m.