FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Mansfield Surges Past Upper Iowa 8-3 in Florida Finale
 
CLEARWATER, Fla. – Mansfield used a six-run seventh inning to surge past Upper Iowa 8-3 in nine innings Wednesday at Jack Russell Stadium in the Mountaineer's final game in the Sunshine State.
 
Taylor Hillson went 3-for-5 at the plate with a run scored and an RBI while Eric Schanzenbacher drilled a solo home run to lead the Mounties offensively.
 
Upper Iowa (2-5, 0-0 NSIC) drew a pair of walks to open the game before Alex George plated both runners with a one-out double to left center field to take an early 2-0 lead. Mansfield (1-7, 0-0 PSAC East) starting pitcher Luke Hils retired the next two batters to end the half inning.
 
After the first inning, Hils settled in nicely, allowing just four hits and three walks while striking out four in 6.0 innings of work.
 
The Mountaineer offense couldn't get much going through the first four innings, recording just two hits during that span. In the bottom of the fifth, Troy Wilson lined a two-out double down the left field line before Owen Lukens and Dave Glueck walked to load the bases. Hillson hit a ball on a frozen rope that was just snared by the Upper Iowa second baseman to end the threat.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, Westyn Baylor singled down the left field line with one out and moved over to second on a ground out. Jacob Molison walked before a Ryan Paige single into center field scored Baylor to put the Mounties on the board.
 
Owen Lukens opened up the bottom of the seventh with a walk then advanced to third on a passed ball and groundout. Hillson's RBI single through the left side brought in Lukens to even the score at 2-2. Schanzenbacher wore a pitch to put runners at first and second before Baylor's RBI single up the middle scored Hillson to give Mansfield the lead. Anthony Renz brought home two more runs with a double to center field. Molison put runners at first and second with a single through the left side before Paige added two more RBIs with a double to deep center field to give MU the 7-2 advantage. A Wilson single and Lukens hit by pitch loaded the bases, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the inning.
 
The Peacocks scored their final run in the top of the eighth inning following two errors by Mansfield.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, Shanzenbacher hammered a big-league home run over the left field fence of the former Philadelphia Phillies spring training grounds. The round-tripper was Schanzenbacher's second of the season.
 
Zach Sacoman earned the win in relief for Mansfield, pitching 3.0 innings with two hits, no earned runs and four strikeouts. Starting pitcher Anthony Ruden took the loss after 6.1 innings of work, allowing six hits and three earned runs while striking out five.
 
The Mountaineers will open PSAC Eastern division play on Saturday against Bloomsburg in Dinwiddie, Va.