Sports Sports Athletics
 
 
 
 
Beavers Defeat Peacocks in First Round of NSIC Tourney

Bemidji State 5 - Upper Iowa 2



Brock Spangenberg went 2-4 with a run scored and an rbi in the first game of the NSIC Tourney

May 8, 2008

Box Score || Updated NSIC Tournament BracketGet Acrobat Reader

The Upper Iowa baseball team opened up play in the Northern Sun Conference Tournament this morning against Bemidji State in Wayne, Nebraska. The Peacocks entered the tourney as the #2 seed, while the Beavers came in with the #5 seed. UIU, who owned a 3-1 record versus BSU this year, jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first, but Bemidji State didn't let the Peacock lead last. The Beavers upset the Peacocks in the first game of the NSIC Tournament by a 5-2 count.

Upper Iowa scored one in the bottom of the first, but missed a great opportunity to put Bemidji State in a big hole early. Nick Fjelland singled to right field with one out and moved to second when Marcus Thompson worked a walk. Brock Spangenberg then singled up the middle to score Fjelland. After a hard single to right off the bat of Lucas Wilsing, the Peacocks had the bases loaded with only one out. Upper Iowa did not take advantage of the opportunity as the next two outs were recorded on a fly out and a strike out.

Bemidji State did not wait long to grab the momentum they stole in the first inning. Three straight hits including back-to-back doubles allowed two runs to come across the plate for the Beavers. BSU added two more in the sixth inning on a solo homerun to open the inning and an rbi-single with two outs. The Beavers weren't through on the board; they added one more run in the top of the seventh on a wild pitch.

Upper Iowa was only able to manage one run in the eighth as they attempted to rally. With one out, Spangenberg doubled to right center and scored on a Wilsing rbi-single to left center. The rally ended in the next at bat as the Peacocks hit into an inning-ending double play.

On the mound, UIU-starter Brian Solemsaas allowed seven hits over 6 innings and gave up four runs. Reliever Chris Wlezien gave up one run in an inning on two hits. At the plate, Spangenberg, Wilsing, and Travis Mather each had two hits. Mather's two hits were doubles that the Peacocks could not take advantage of. One was a lead off double in the second inning.

After the loss, Upper Iowa will now play at 10 a.m. again tomorrow against Winona State in the NSIC Tournament's first elimination game in Wayne, Nebraska. Winona State, #6 seed, lost to Wayne State, #1 seed, in the tourney's second game, 6-3.