JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The Lincoln baseball team held a two-run lead entering the eighth inning, but Upper Iowa got some timely runs to beat the Blue Tigers, 15-8, in the second game of a double-header on Saturday (March 14). The Peacocks also won the opener, 15-3.

Andy Srebroski IV hit a home run to lead off the bottom of the first inning of the second game, and LU's 1-0 lead stood until the top of the third, when the Peacocks tied the contest on a fielder's choice. A solo homer in the top of the fourth briefly put Upper Iowa (11-10, 4-0 GLVC) ahead by one, but Daren Walters-Ansell hit a home run of his own in the bottom half of that frame that scored Hunter Mitchell and put the Blue Tigers back on top, 3-2.

Upper Iowa scored four runs in the fifth inning to go ahead 6-3, and that was how the score remained until the bottom of the seventh. Srebroski led that inning off with a single and Easton Stuckenschneider pull the Blue Tigers to within one by launching the ball over the right field fence. Felix Marquez and Walters-Ansell both had base hits later in the seventh, and Carson Erwin knocked the ball into right field to bring home Marquez, tying the game at 6-6.

Walters-Ansell and Erwin both returned to the plate on a single from Nolan Laughlin, and Lincoln (4-15, 0-8 GLVC) ended the seventh frame with an 8-6 advantage. Upper Iowa answered in a big way in the eighth inning, however, mounting a two-out rally resulting in four runs and a lead the Peacocks would not relinquish. 

Srebroski, Marquez and Walters-Ansell finished with two hits apiece while Mitchell had one. Ed Noy fanned two Peacock batters while Jacob Claborn, Jonah Claborn and Rylan Lepper each rang up one strikeout. Jacob Schulte led LU"s defense with nine putouts and Zane Hunter II, Srebroski and Walters-Ansell each posted three. Walters-Ansell recorded a team-high seven assists while Hunter was next with three.

Upper Iowa scored three runs in top of the first inning of game one en route to a 15-0 lead through the top of the fifth. Lincoln scored the game's final three runs, beginning in the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run hit by Erwin. In the bottom of the third, Peyton Hinton, who led the inning off with a single, scored on a bases-load walk. A throwing error later allowed Nate Lucas to score.

Erwin, Laughlin, Hinton, Srebroski, Stuckenschneider, Aiden Boeckmann and Blythe Blakey each had hits in the opener. On the mound, Mitchell struck out four batters while Jayce Baser and Ty Ollison fanned one apiece. Laughlin and Schulte both had five putouts, tying for the team-lead.

Lincoln is back at Vivion Field on Tuesday (March 17) to host Hannibal-LaGrange in a non-conference contest. First pitch is slated for 2:00 p.m. CDT.