Muscatine, IA—An offensive outburst in the fourth inning of game two salvaged a doubleheader split for the Marshalltown Community College baseball team as the Tigers defeated Muscatine Community College 16-1 in five innings of play in Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) action. The Cardinals stole game one 7-3.
MCC put up 13 runs in the fourth inning of game two to earn a split in the four-game weekend series for the Tigers after the two teams split Saturday's doubleheader. MCC brought 18 players to bat in the inning, recording just five hits but taking advantage of three Cardinal errors. The 16 runs scored are tied for the most this season for the Tigers.
Freshman Kolton Gonnerman (Centerville, IA/Centerville) went the distance for the Tigers, tossing all five innings, allowing just one earned run to pick up his second-career win. Engel Rosario (Santo Domingo, DR/Cenapec) and Bennett Lopez (Dorado, PR/PRBA) each went 2-3 with three RBI in the win. Rosario blasted his second home run of the series in the third inning.
The offense got started in game one as MCC took an early 3-0 lead in the second inning after Austin Gridley (Fairfield, IA/Fairfield) doubled to score Pedro Lopez (Naples, FL/Naples) and Bryan Ventura (Carolina, PR/Next Level America). Gridley later came around to score on a throwing error for the three-run advantage.
After a perfect first inning from MCC starting pitcher Joel Lopez (Dorado, PR/Jose S. Alegria), the Cardinal bats came alive in the second, scoring four runs off of the southpaw. Muscatine added three more in the third inning to extend its lead.
Despite scoreless relief appearances from Tsubasa Maruyama (Yokohama, Japan/Yokosuka Gakuin) and Patrick Rankin (Rice Lake, WI/Rice Lake), the Tiger offense recorded just one hit over the final five innings as Muscatine held on for the win.
The Tigers put just one baserunner on base in the first two innings of game two, but the offense woke up with three runs in the third. Anderson Villarroel (U.E. Santisima Caridad) scored Ventura and Bennett Lopez added a two-run single, scoring Gridley and Villarroel.
Gonnerman preserved the lead with three scoreless innings before the fourth-inning spurt took place for the Tigers. Rosario blasted his second home run in as many days to open up the inning. Rosario added a two-run single later in the frame while Ventura and Bennett Lopez added RBI-singles. MCC scored four runs off of Muscatine errors and passed balls. The Tigers drew seven walks in the inning as well.
Gonnerman struck out three batters while allowing four hits to improve to 2-1 on the year.
The Tigers return home for a nonconference doubleheader vs. Kirkwood Community College at 2:00 PM on Tuesday afternoon at Shawn Williams Field.
