Muscatine, IA—Bennett Mann (Marshalltown, IA/Marshalltown) and Aneudis Sandoval (Manati, PR/Fernando Callejo) combined for seven home runs on Sunday afternoon to lead the Marshalltown Community College baseball team to two come-from-behind victories at Muscatine Community College. The Tigers rallied in game one to take a 12-7 victory and a late two-run home run from Sandoval gave MCC a 6-5 game two win.
For the second straight day the MCC offense scored at will as the Tigers picked up the two Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) wins to get back to .500 in league play. As a team, the Tigers connected on eight home runs, including four from Mann, two in each game. MCC outscored the Cardinals 47-23 in the four-game set thanks to 12 total home runs on the weekend.
After scoring 29 runs in two games on Saturday, the Tigers struggled to get on the board in Sunday's opener. Muscatine held a 3-0 lead through four innings of play before Sandoval hit a two-out, two run home run to right field on the first pitch he saw to spark the attack. Muscatine answered right back with three more runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a 6-2 lead.
With two outs in the fifth, Mann delivered his first home run of the afternoon and fifth of the season, a three-run shot to score Ty Russell (Victoria, BC/Lambrick Park) an Eric Kent (Fort Madison, IA/Fort Madison). On the very next at bat, Ryan Thrasher (Sherwood Park, AB/St. Francis Xavier) smashed a solo home run to center field to tie the game at six. The Cardinals responded with a run to regain the lead, but an RBI single in the sixth from Austin Allen (Milo, IA/Southeast Warren) scored Pedro Lopez (Naples, FL/Palmetto Ridge) to tie the game. Reliever Schyler Kane (Pella, IA/Pella) pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the sixth to keep the Tigers alive.
Mann put the Tigers ahead for good with a two-run shot in the seventh as the Tigers scored five runs in the frame to pick up their third straight conference win. The sophomore finished with five RBI on the day while Allen, Russell, Thrasher, and Sandoval all had two hits. Kane was credited with the victory after allowing just two hits in three innings of work.
Game two saw Muscatine jump out to a 3-0 lead again before Sandoval hit a solo home run to left field in the third and put MCC on the board. Mann tied the game at three with a two-run homer in the fourth for his third round-tripper of the day. The Cardinals scored a run in the fourth and fifth innings to go back on top, only to set the stage for another MCC comeback.
Mann led off the seventh with a first pitch home run to ignite the rally. Sandoval gave the Tigers the go-ahead run with a two run home run to deep centerfield on his first pitch, scoring pinch runner Colin Schroeder (Grimes, IA/Dallas Center-Grimes) as well. John Bloom (Laurel, IA/East Marshall) pitched a scoreless seventh inning to hold off the Cardinals and earn his second save of the year. Kyle Herrick (Adel, IA/Adel-Desoto-Minburn) tossed a scoreless sixth in his only inning of action to pick up the victory.
Mann and Sandoval both finished the nightcap 2-3 with three RBI apiece to pace the offensive outbreak. The two lead the Tigers in home runs this year with eight and five, respectively.
The Tigers look to open their 2014 home schedule with a pair of games against cross-division rival Des Moines Area Community College on Tuesday afternoon at Shawn Williams Field. First pitch is set for 2:00 PM.
