Two Sunday Wins Allow IHCC to Split

Centerville, IA -- The Indian Hills Falcons hope they started another long winning streak when they swept both games of a Sunday doubleheader with visiting Southwestern CC. After having a 10-game winning streak snapped in a doubleheader loss to the Spartans on Saturday, the Falcons bounced back to win 7-3 and 7-1 at Pat Daugherty Field. 

The games close out of the conference portion of the schedule for IHCC with the Falcons finishing 20-12 in the league.  They are 33-22 overall.

Indian Hills got solid pitching from six different pitchers in Sunday's games, the hurlers giving up only nine hits and four runs for the day.  The pitching wasn't that bad on Saturday either, but IHCC came out on the short end of two one-run games, losing 3-2 and 6-5.

Sam Ross started the first game Sunday and went 5 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and a pair of runs, both earned.  Kyle Maldonado got the final out in the 6th and A.J. McElderry retired all three hitters he faced in the 7th.

The Falcons used four straight singles to score two runs in the 2nd.  They added an RBI single by Guillermo Cruz in the 3rd, a two-run double by Yuliecer Arias in the 4th, and a two-run double by Taylor Ostrich in the 6th. 

In the nightcap, Jeremy Delgado had a leadoff triple in the 1st and scored on a fielder's choice grounder.  IHCC plated four runs in the 4th with Delgado and Ostrich both driving in runs in the inning.  The final two runs came in the 5th when Kevin Arroyo and Zach Sims each singled home a run.

Darwin Miranda picked up his first win of the season.  He went the first five innings and gave up only two hits and one run, with a walk and five strikeouts.  Jake Stalzer and Cashtyn DeLeeuw each pitched a scoreless inning in relief.

Jordan Piche pitched wel enough to win in the first game Saturday.  He permitted six hits and three runs, two earned, in going the distance.  Piche fanned eight and walked one.

Indian Hills had a 2-1 lead, but Southwestern scored single runs in the 5th and 6th to win it. 

With the game tied 2-2 in the 5th, IHCC had the bases loaded with one out, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the inning.  Then, trailing 3-2 in the 6th, the Falcons got a walk to Sims and a double by Darryl Velez, but stranded the runners again.

Missed opportunities were the story in the second game too.  The Falcons scored twice but left the bases loaded in the 2nd, and left runners at 1st and 3rd in the 5th.  Arias hit his first homer of the season in the 6th to tie the score at 6-all, but IHCC reliever McElderry allowed only his 3rd run all season in the 7th as Southwestern scored the game-winner.  The Falcons went quietly with three flyouts in the bottom of the 7th.

Adam Deneke pitched well in relief for Indian Hills, giving up two hits and an unearned run in four innings.  He fanned five with no walks.

Raul Centeno was the only Falcon with two hits, one of them a two-run double.

After the weekend's contests,  Indian Hills knows it will face Marshalltown CC in the first round in this weekend's Region 11 tournament.  IHCC is the 2nd seed and will face the third-seeded Tigers at 2:00 on Friday afternoon at Pat Daugherty Field.