Centerville, IA—Sophomore Alexis Melendez (Trujillo Alto, PR/IBAH) delivered two doubles and freshman Logan Holtz (Urbana, IA/Center Point-Urbana) went 3-4 but the Marshalltown Community College baseball team suffered an 8-5 nonconference loss to Indian Hills Community College on Saturday afternoon.
The Tigers fell behind early as Indian Hills built a 3-0 lead in the first inning off of MCC starting pitcher Wyatt Stark (Mt Pleasant, IA/Fairfield). The Tigers got a run back in the second inning as Hunter Embray (Knoxville, IA/Twin Cedars) singled to score Melendez who led off the inning with a double.
MCC slowly chipped away as Holtz tripled in the fourth inning to score Embray to pull within one. After a run in the bottom of the fourth from the Warriors, the Tigers came up in the top of the fifth with a chance to tie the game.
Anderson Villarroel (Caracas, Venezuela/U.E. Santisima Caridad) led off the frame with a triple and a sacrifice fly from Bennett Lopez (Dorado, PR/PRBA) scored Villarroel to bring the Tigers within one again. Melendez reached base on an error that allowed Pedro Lopez (Naples, FL/Naples) to score and tie the game at four.
The Warriors responded immediately and doubled up the Tigers' production in the fifth, scoring four runs in their half to take an 8-4 lead. Bennett Lopez scored on an error in the seventh inning, but the Tigers failed to produce any more runs.
Relievers Thomas Sanchez (Onalaska, WI/Holmen) and Todd Oberthien (Solon, IA/Solon) managed to hold the Warriors scoreless for the final 3.1 innings, allowing just one hit.
The Tigers return to action with a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon in Centerville. MCC will play St. Cloud Technical & Community College at 12:30 PM and Hibbing Community College at 5:30 PM.