PLATTSMOUTH, NEB. – Dylan Gavin tied a career-high with four hits and Gabe Shemwell had a career-best three RBIs to fuel a 5-3 win by the University of Sioux Falls Baseball Team (9-21, 9-11 NSIC) over Upper Iowa (9-14, 7-10 NSIC) and a split of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader Thursday at Blue Devils Field on a sunny and windy afternoon.

The Cougars, who lost game one, 3-1, sit in ninth place in the NSIC at 9-11. USF has five of its last eight games, all in NSIC play. Gavin had a big day with five hits in six at bats for a .833 average in the doubleheader. The senior from Pueblo, Colo., just his average to .318 and hit his first home run of the season and the seventh of his career. He also exhibited his utility to USF as he pitched a complete game, the second of the season, in a 3-0 game one loss as he allowed just two earned runs and had seven strikeouts. Gavin lowered his era to 2.66 and made his seventh start of five innings or more.

Shemwell, a freshman from Gretna, Neb., earned a game two start and had his career-best in RBIs with three and just missed hitting a grand slam home run. Shemwell's two-run single in the eighth inning of game two broke a 3-3 tie as the Cougars picked up a split with the Peacocks. Also supplying offense for USF was senior Brent Jarvis, who had three hits in six at bats and drew two walks while recording a stolen base.

In addition to Gavin's stellar effort on the mound, game two starter and freshman Brandon Roesler of Kindred, N.D., had another quality start, working six innings and allowing just a single run. Junior Spencer Dokken, who lowered his ERA to 2.86, earned his first win at USF with two innings of two-hit relief and Jackson Olson had his second save.

The series was moved to Plattsmouth, Neb., due to the bad weather that hit the area this weekend. Depending on the severity of the weather and snowfall this weekend, USF is scheduled to host U-Mary on Wednesday, April 18 at the Birdcage.

Game 1 – Upper Iowa 3 Sioux Falls 1
Despite a solid start from Gavin, the Cougars fell to Upper Iowa, 3-0 in the opener. Gavin, who fell to 3-4 on the season, worked six innings, allowing seven hits and two earned runs with seven strikeouts and just a walk in throwing a complete game in 79 pitches. However, he lost a pitcher's duel with UIU's Ryan Munoz (2-1), who threw a seven-hit shutout, walking just two with seven strikeouts.

The Cougars had hits from Gavin, Matthew Minnick, Brent Jarvis and Ryan Meyer. UIU was led by Zackary Cain with two hits and two RBIs while Tony Salato had two hits and two runs scored. Jacob Greco hit a home run in the first inning to provide all the runs the Peacocks would need. UIU added a run in the third inning a bloop RBI single by Salato. In the fifth, UIU moved the lead to 3-0 when a USF error set up a run-scoring single by Cain which plated Salato.

Game 2 – Sioux Falls 5 Upper Iowa 3
Led by the hitting exploits of Gavin and Shemwell, the Cougars took game two, 5-3. After three scoreless innings to open the game, Gavin hit a towering drive over the left field fence off a pitch by losing UIU starter Kolton Gonnerman (2-3) in the fourth inning. After Gavin and Minnick worked walks off Gonnerman, Jarvis laid down a perfect bunt near the third base line to load the bases in the top of the sixth inning. Freshman catcher Alex Elizondo was hit by a pitch to produce a 2-0 lead as Gavin came home. Then, Minnick scored on a deep fly by Shemwell to the left field fence that fell just short of his first grand slam.

 UIU scored two runs in the sixth inning and one in the seventh inning (two unearned), to tie the game at 3-3. Then, USF loaded the bases in the eighth inning, and Shemwell's single up the middle plated Jarvis, who opened the inning with a walk, and senior Anthony Lopez, who had reached on a bunt and subsequent error by UIU when Gonnerman tried to tag him but missed. After Elizondo's bunt single up the third-base line, Shemwell had the tie-breaking and game-winning hit with a hard hit bouncer up the middle.

Freshman Brandon Roesler worked six innings, allowing just four hits and one earned run with six strikeouts and no walks. Dokken, who has been spectacular in relief this season, worked two innings and allowed just one run in picking up his first career win and moving to 1-1 on the season. He was on the mound when the Cougars executed a pair of defensive gems. After a bunt single by Callahan Seehase of UIU was followed two batters later by a single by Cain, USF's rightfielder Matthew Minnick hit the cutoff man, shortstop freshman Grant Lung whose quick relay to Josh Rehwaldt at first, catching Cain who had wandered to far off the bag. With two out, Rehwaldt had a pick on a throw from Ryan Meyer that ended the inning and the Peacock's final threat.

In the ninth, sophomore Jackson Olson worked a flawless inning, retiring the side in 11 pitches with a strikeout for his second save of the season.

Gavin had four hits for the second time in his career (at Minnesota-Duluth, April 10, 2016). He also had his 10 multi-hit game of the season. Jarvis added two hits in four at bats.