Marshalltown, IA—The Marshalltown Community College baseball team returned to its winning ways on Sunday afternoon after sweeping Milwaukee Area Technical College in the team's home opener at Shawn Williams Field. The Tigers took game one 6-2 before Juan Carlos Gonzalez (La Piedra, Blanca, Dominican Republic/Salome Urena de Henrriquez) tossed a no-hitter in a 14-0 win in game two.
The Tigers won the opener with the Stormers after pulling away down the stretch to end a five-game losing streak. Game two boasted plenty of offense, but it was Gonzalez that starred on the mound as the sophomore struck out nine batters without issuing a walk in the five-inning no-hitter.
Freshman Jose Mieses (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic/Prepara) collected five hits over the course of the two games. Sophomores Luis Duran (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic/Centro de Estudio Espaillat), Diogen Ceballos (La Vega, Dominican Republic/Liceo la Romana), and freshman Adam Barrett (Council Bluffs, IA/Abraham Lincoln) added home runs in game two as the Tigers broke double-digits for the fifth time this year.
Sunday's doubleheader was shortened from a four-game weekend series due to unplayable field conditions on Saturday.
Game one starting pitcher Ceballos allowed a run in the first inning but kept the Stormers quiet over the next two innings. Sophomore John Magnuson (Elk Run Heights, IA/Waterloo East) scored the Tigers' first run on a passed ball to tie the game in the third inning. Mieses singled and scored in the fourth and Tony Salato (Knoxville, IA/Knoxville) did the same in the fifth for a 3-2 Tiger lead. Salato delivered an RBI-single in the sixth and the Tigers took advantage of a pair of throwing errors to extend the lead and held on for the win.
Mieses finished the game 3-4 at the plate and Salato and Joel Rosauer (Elk Run Heights, IA/Waterloo East) added two hits each. Ceballos struck out four in six innings with one earned run and Enmanuel Lopez (Santiago, Dominican Republic/Prepara) worked a perfect seventh inning.
The first inning set the tone on both sides of the field for the Tigers as Gonzalez worked a 1-2-3 inning and MCC plated three runs in the bottom half. Ceballos, making his first appearance of the year at the plate, connected on a two-run home run to get MCC on the board.
Duran added a two-run shot of his own in the third to pace the offense in a nine-run inning. Barrett sent a pitch over the wall in left for his first-career home run to lead off the fourth. Mieses roped a run-scoring triple to right center to cap the scoring, giving the Tigers their most runs in a game this year.
Gonzalez cruised from start to finish for MCC, striking out at least two batters in three of the five innings, retiring the side in the fourth. Aside from two runners reaching base by way of error, Gonzalez was perfect on the hill for MCC. The sophomore lefty leads the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) with 43 strikeouts and ranks 10th in the nation with 13.99 K/9 this year.
Duran finished the nightcap 2-3 at the plate with four RBI and Ceballos added two hits and three RBI. Mieses added two more hits in the win for the Tigers.
The Tigers host Kirkwood Community College for a 2:00 PM doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon at Shawn Williams Field.
ICYMI: Juan Carlos Gonzalez tossed a gem on Sunday afternoon for @MCCTigers_BB, striking out nine batters without allowing a hit or walk! pic.twitter.com/dYMVvCuo4j
— Marshalltown Tigers (@MCC_ATH) March 20, 2017
