The University of Minnesota Duluth got its 2019 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference off to an encouraging start Saturday by taking both ends of a doubleheader with Upper Iowa University, rallying for a 9-8 win to start the day before besting the Peacocks 5-3 in Quincy, Ill.

In the opener, the  Bulldogs spotted the Peacocks a 3-0 lead through one inning and found themselves trailing 8-3 heading to the top of the fourth before striking for five runs. Senior first basemen Tyler Wojciechowski's two-out run-scoring double cut the UMD deficit to one and the next batter, senior designated hitter (who belted a two-run homer two innings earlier) Ben Danielson, brought home Wojciechowski on a single to left field to make it 8-8.  One inning later, junior catcher Reid Rubio doubled down the left field line, scoring McCale Peterson with the go-ahead run and giving UMD its only lead of the afternoon.

Senior pitcher  Evan Vick came on in relief of starter Nick Dorfman and threw three inning of no-run, one-hit, three-strikeout ball to improve to 1-1 on the season. Peterson worked the seventh inning and allowed just one hit and fanned one to earn the save. 

The following game, it was UMD (4-5 overall) that jumped out to a 3-0 lead in their first at bats and the Bulldogs never looked back.  Upper Iowa (2-4) held UMD to just three hits over nine innings -- one each by junior center fielder Drew Stewart (who also scored two runs), sophomore second baseman Anders Brown (a double) and rookie catcher Tyler Peterson. 

Starting junior southpaw Rece Dietrich (1-0)  pitched five innings and gave up just two earned runs and six hits. Sophomore Sean Flaherty posted his first collegiate save after retiring the side in the ninth inning.

The two clubs will meet in 12 noon twinbill Sunday.