League Season Opens with Three Wins

Centerville -- Indian Hills won three of four games from Muscatine CC as the two teams got the conference season opened over the weekend.  The Cardinals then stayed for another day on Sunday and the two squads split a doubleheader.

On Friday, IHCC got a couple of dominating performances from starters Christian Torres and Jake Stalzer in sweeping MCC by scores of 11-1 and 9-1.  The first game was shortened to five innings by the 10-run rule and Torres was sharp, allowing only two hits while striking out eight.

Joel Booker led the IHCC offense with his first homer of the spring, a three-run shot in a seven-run 2nd inning.  The first seven hitters all hit safely and all of them scored in the big inning.  Tyler Hermann had a two-run double and later walked with the bases loaded in the 5th inning for his 3rd RBI of the day.

Jordan Berry and Kevin Valera each had two hits and Berry, Dario Polanco and Junior Santos scored twice.

Stalzer worked the first six innings in game two, permitting four hits with nine Ks, before Brennan Floss finished up with a two-strikeout 7th. 

IHCC scored at least one run in five of six innings and collected nine hits, two apiece by Booker, Taylor Ostrich and Berry.  Ostrich doubled in the 1st and slugged a two-run homer in the 6th.

The Falcons won their third staight in Saturday's first game, winning 8-2, but a costly error in the nightcap allowed Muscatine to gain a split as they won 6-3.

Leadoff hitter Caleb Ratzman ignited the offense in game one with singles in three consecutive innings, scoring each time he reached base.  Number-two batter Adam Deneke scored twice and Berry knocked in two runs. 

Sam Ross got the win on the mound for IHCC, getting two outs in the top of the 7th before Marcco Lovato came on to record the final out.  Ross gave up only three hits and struck out five.

Deneke started the second game and all the runs he allowed in a four-run 4th for MCC were unearned. 

The Falcons attempted to rally in the bottom of the 7th, but left the bases loaded after scoring one run.  Junior Santos had three of IHCC's hits and Berry continued his hot hitting with a single and a triple.  Edgar Lebron pounded a leadoff homer in the 3rd.

Sunday's action started with a dandy pitching performance by IHCC freshman Derek Kawlewski. The righthander gave up two hits and an unearned run in the first six innings and Junior Santos finished with a hitless 7th as the Falcons won 6-1.

Ratzman, Santos, Kevin Cicali and Hermann all had two-hit games and Cicali and Hermann had two RBIs.

Muscatine salvaged the final game of the weekend, winning a slugfest 13-11. 

Five IHCC pitchers combined to give up 10 hits and 14 walks.

An early 6-0 lead for the Falcons disappeared when the Cardinals scored six runs in the 4th and four more in the 5th and scored 13 unanswered runs.  As they had in Saturday's loss, Indian Hills tried to rally in the final inning.  They scored three runs and had two runners on base when the final out was recorded.

Ostrich had three hits and four RBIs and Santos also had a three-hit game.  Every one of IHCC's starters scored at least one run.

The Falcons end the long weekend with an 8-9 record and will travel to Southwestern for a non-league game on Tuesday.