Falcons Take Three From Tigers in League Play

Centerville -- For the second weekend in a row, the Indian Hills Falcons won three of four games in a series against a conference foe.  The Falcons scored 17 runs to win the opening game of the series against Marshalltown CC, winning 17-9, and then, after a 10-6 loss in Saturday's second game, used two outstanding pitching performances to sweep Sunday's doubleheader by scores of 5-2 and 10-0.

The results put the Falcons' season record at 14-10 and give them a conference record of 6-2.  They will play a league series at conference-leader Iowa Western next weekend.

A pair of lefthanded pitchers for IHCC were superb in Sunday's action.  Christian Torres allowed one lone single and one earned run in a complete-game effort in the opener.  Torres stuck out eight and walked four.  His teammates scored the tying and go-ahead runs in the 3rd and added an insurance run in the 4th.

Dario Polanco had run-scoring doubles in the 1st and 3rd for the Falcons, his hit in the 3rd chasing home Tyler Hermann to break a 3-all tie.  Caleb Ratzman tripled and scored the extra run the next inning.

In game two, Jake Stalzer threw a route-going six-hitter with one walk and eight Ks to notch the victory.  He benefitted from a 13-hit attack that included a double and triple by Junior Santos and a triple by Joel Booker.  Hermann had three hits and Ratzman, Santos and Darryl Velez two apiece.  Velez scored three runs and Santos drove in four.

The Falcons pounded MCC ace Jake Whaley in the first contest on Saturday, knocking him out of the game after he had given up seven hits and 11 runs, nine earned.  Marshalltown erupted for seven runs in the top of the 4th to go on top 8-3, but IHCC stormed back with five runs in the 4th, six more in the 5th and three in the 6th.

Of Indian Hills' 15 hits, Hermann had three and Ratzman, Santos, Jordan Berry and Booker picked up two each.  Santos scored four runs and Hermann three; Polanco and Berry had three RBIs.

Matt Lashlee got the win in relief of starter Derek Kawlewski.  Lashlee gave up only two hits and one run in 3 1/3 innings with no walks and two Ks.

Marshalltown scored three runs in the each of the first two innings in the second game and went on to defeat the Falcons 10-6.

Jose Marin started and took the loss despite seven strikeouts in four innings.

The Falcons were held to only six hits.  Zach Sims and Kevin Valera each scored twice.