Marshalltown, IA—One run was the deciding factor in game two of Sunday's Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) doubleheader at Shawn Williams Field, as the Marshalltown Community College baseball team took a 1-0 loss to No. 3 Iowa Western Community College. The Reivers dropped MCC in game one 16-2.
Kolton Gonnerman (Centerville, IA/Centerville) proved to have the Reivers' number for the second straight matchup as the freshman pitched 5.2 innings, allowing five hits and the lone run in the top of the sixth inning. Gonnerman allowed just one hit in 4.1 innings of action in the previous contest with Iowa Western on April 11. The Tiger offense managed just four hits in the game two loss.
After a leadoff single to start the sixth for the Reivers (36-5, 16-2), ranked No. 3 in this week's NJCAA Division I Baseball poll, Iowa Western plated its only run of the game on an RBI-single to centerfield with two outs. MCC (16-27, 5-13) threatened in the bottom of the seventh inning as Colin Schroeder (Grimes, IA/Dallas Center-Grimes) singled down the right field line with two outs, but was unable to advance as the upset bid came up short.
Gonnerman struck out four batters in the losing effort. Thomas Sanchez (Onalaska, WI/Holmen) pitched 1.1 innings of scoreless relief.
Game one belonged to the Reivers from start to finish. Iowa Western built a 3-0 lead through the team's first two at bats before the Tigers found their way on the board. Freshman Logan Holtz (Urbana, IA/Center Point-Urbana) singled to right-centerfield to score Hunter Embray (Knoxville, IA/Twin Cedars) and Bryan Ventura (Carolina, PR/Next Level America) but MCC produced just one hit the rest of the way to drop the opener.
Holtz finished game one with a pair of hits. Austin Gridley (Fairfield, IA/Fairfield) was tagged with the loss.
The two sides resume play on Monday afternoon at Shawn Williams Field after weather pushed the start of the series back one day. First pitch is set for 12:00 PM.
