Harriman, TN-- The Marshalltown Community College baseball team defeated Roane State Community College 7-6 in eight innings in game two on Friday afternoon to salvage a split with the Raiders on MCC's opening day. John Bloom (Laurel, IA/East Marshall) picked up the win for the Tigers while Parker Rolfes (Le Mars, IA/Le Mars) earned his first career save.
Daryl Blaskovich (Brentwood Bay, BC/Lambrick Park ) provided the offensive production for the Tigers on Friday. While only collecting two hits, Blaskovich managed to reach base six times and tallied a sacrifice fly as the sophomore drove in two runs and scored two more. While Rolfes got the save in game two, the freshman produced the winning run on a bases loaded walk in the top of the eighth to give MCC its first win of the year.
Aneudis Sandoval (Manati, PR/Fernando Callejo) recorded a team-high three hits on the day and Ali Asif (Corona, NY/Newtown) drove in two runs in game two to power the Tigers.
In the opening game, Blaskovich singled and doubled in his first two at bats for MCC. The sophomore doubled to lead off the third inning and scored on the next at bat on a single to shallow right center from Ty Russell (Victoria, BC/Lambrick Park). Blaskovich then hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth to score Bennett Mann (Marshalltown, IA/Marshalltown), but the Tigers stranded three base-runners in the inning.
RSCC took advantage of MCC's failure to score and tallied three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Raiders held MCC scoreless over the final three frames to hold on to the win.
Kyle Herrick (Adel, IA/Adel-Desoto-Minburn) tossed three innings of relief but took the loss in game one for the Tigers. Richard England (Centerville, IA/Centerville) started the game and struck out three batters in three innings of work. The Tigers recorded six errors in the opener as all five runs were unearned.
In game two, MCC fell behind early but the Tigers used a six-run fourth inning to take a 6-2 lead. The first five batters of the inning reached base as Austin Allen (Milo, IA/Southeast Warren) delivered a single to score Sandoval while Mann scored on a groundout from Rolfes. Austin Battaglia (Waukee, IA/Waukee) then scored on an error and Asif provided the big hit of the inning with a two-run single down the right field line, scoring Allen and Blaskovich.
The Raiders answered right back with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the fourth and forced extra innings with a run in the bottom of the seventh.
With one out in the top of the eighth, Rolfes came to the plate and singled to left-center. Blaskovich reached base one final time on an error, advancing Rolfes to second. Russell produced a sacrifice fly to move the runners up a base and back-to-back walks from Steven Dreesman (Carroll, IA/Carroll) and Alexis Melendez (San Juan, PR/IBA) brought Rolfes around to score for the game-winner.
With two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the eighth, Rolfes forced a ground out to Blaskovich to end the game.
The two teams square off tomorrow for a doubleheader with first pitch set for 11:00 AM (CST).
