FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Baseball Opens Spring Break Trip with 5-3 Win Over Upper Iowa
 
CLEARWATER, Fla. – Tommy Alexander allowed just one earned run through seven innings and Taylor Hillson scored twice to lead Mansfield past Upper Iowa 5-3 on Sunday at Jack Russell Stadium in the Mountaineer's spring break opener.
 
Alexander dealt a no-hitter through the first 4.1 innings and allowed just four hits over 7.0 innings of work for his second win of the season. The senior walked just two while striking out six.
 
Hillson and Scott Rockwell opened the bottom of the first with back-to-back singles before the Mountaineers opened the scoring when Zephan Kash drove in Hillson from third.
 
In the fourth, Matt Kurelja reached on an error then Ryan Paige doubled to put a pair of runners in scoring position. Tanner Klein drove a ball up the middle to bring in both runners and give Mansfield a 3-0 advantage.
 
Upper Iowa (3-1, 0-0 NSIC) got a run across in the top of the sixth, but Mansfield answered in the bottom of the inning when Jerry Chavarria singled to bring in Kurelja. The Peacocks scored again in the seventh, but the Mounties answered with a run once more when Hillson scored on a wild pitch after hitting a lead-off double.
 
Mountaineer relief pitcher Alec Covel got out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth and allowed a run in the ninth to earn the save. Covel struck out all six outs in his two innings on the mound.
 
Starting pitcher Brett Fanning took the loss for Upper Iowa, going 3.0 innings before leaving with injury.
 
Hillson went 3-3 at the dish and was hit by a pitch.
 
Mansfield improves to 6-2 overall on the season.
 
The Mountaineers take on Saint Leo tomorrow at 6 p.m. at Jack Russell Stadium.