Jamestown, NC—The Marshalltown Community College baseball team pounded out a season-high 13 hits and nine runs en route to a 9-5 victory over Guilford Technical Community College on Saturday afternoon. Four players recorded at least two hits, led by Aneudis Sandoval's (Manati, PR/Fernando Callejo) 3-6 performance.
For just the second time this year, the Tigers (4-6) scored the game's first run as MCC took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. The Titans evened the game with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame.
The Tigers continued their season-long trend of putting together a big inning midway through the game as MCC exploded for five runs in the fifth to pull ahead. The Tigers have scored at least five runs in one inning four different times this year. MCC put up two runs in the seventh and added one final run in the top of the ninth to snap a three-game losing streak.
The offensive production came from an array of players, including Sandoval who has recorded at least one hit in seven of the team's 10 games and has registered a team-high .389 batting average. Bennett Mann (Marshalltown, IA/Marshalltown) belted his third in home run in his last four games while Alexis Melendez (San Juan, PR/IBA) went 2-5 and added his first career long-ball while driving in three runs on the day.
Batting from the leadoff position, Daryl Blaskovich (Brentwood Bay, BC/Lambrick Park) drove in two runs and scored twice. Ty Russell (Victoria, BC/Lambrick Park) and Eric Kent (Fort Madison, IA/Fort Madison) each drove in two runs while Ryan Thrasher (Sherwood Park, AB/St Francis Xavier) posted his first career multi-hit game.
Five different MCC pitchers tossed at least one inning of work. Alex McCune (Johnston, IA/Johnston) got the start and was relieved by Austin Battaglia (Waukee IA/Waukee) who struck out three batters in two innings. Prince De Marco (Chicago, IL/Agricultural Sciences) recorded his first career win after allowing just one run in two innings. Julio Batista (San Juan, PR) and John Bloom (Laurel, IA/East Marshall) combined for the final three frames.
MCC will conclude its' week-long southern trip at Guilford Tech for a doubleheader tomorrow afternoon, set to begin at 12:00 PM.
