Falcons Take Series at Marshalltown

Marshalltown, Ia. -- Dominating pitching performaces by Cashtyn DeLeeuw and Jordan Piche in a Sunday doubleheader allowed Indian Hills to sweep Marshalltown as the Falcons won the final three games of the weekend series after losing a one-run decision in the first game.

Both finals on Saturday were 5-4. The IHCC win in game two came courtesy of a solo homerun by Levi Grassley leading off the 7th inning.

Grassley had homered in the first game too, but the Falcons couldn't overcome an early 5-0 deficit.

Cashtyn DeLeeuw got the start in Sunday's opener and did not allow an earned run in IHCC's 5-2 win. He spaced four hits while fanning 11 and walking three in his 103-pitch outing.

The Falcons only managed five hits, but took advantage of some MCC miscues to score three runs in the 4th and two more in the 5th.

Yuliecer Arias, who went 3-for-3, singled in both innings and scored a run while driving in two.

Piche was even better than DeLeeuw in the second game, permitting just two hits and no walks while striking out seven in a 4-0 whitewashing. Piche hasn't lost since the season-opener against MCC-Maple Woods.

His teammates got him the only run he would need in the 1st when Tyler Hermann was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. They tacked on two more in the 5th on Taylor Ostrich's two-run double. Adam Deneke's sacrifice fly brought home the final run in the 6th.

Ostrich had three of IHCC's six hits and Guillermo Cruz scored twice.

Hermann's homer, a line shot down the left-field line, in Saturday's second game gave the win to Jake Stalzer. A.J. McElderry pitched a one-two-three 7th for his fifth save.

Anthony Gagliardi started for the Falcons and left in the 6th with a 4-2 lead. But MCC tied the game on a pair of run-scoring wild pitches.

After trailing 2-0, Adam Deneke got Indian Hills on the scoreboard with a three-run homer to left in the 5th. Cruz doubled in Jeremy Delgado later in the inning.

Francis Marcelo and Grassley had two hits apiece.

Marshalltown's Jeff Degano, an all-region pitcher for the Tigers last year, made his first start of the season in game one and shut out the Falcons on two hits into the 5th inning.

Grassley started the IHCC comeback with a solo homer to left. The Falcons added two runs in the 6th and scored a run in the 7th on a run-scoring grounder, but the rally came up short.

A bright spot for Indian Hills was the work out of the bullpen by Tyler Sparger. He came on in relief of starter Matt Lashlee, who was charged with all five MCC runs, and gave up only one hit with four Ks in three innings.

Delgado had two hits for the Falcons.

Next up for Indian Hills is a home doubleheader with Muscatine CC on Wednesday.