Neosho, MO- Runs were plentiful for the Marshalltown Community College baseball team on Saturday afternoon, but Crowder College used two late rallies to sweep the doubleheader against the Tigers. Alexis Melendez (Trujillo Alto, PR/IBAHS) paced the Tigers in the opener, going 3-4 with a home run.
The Roughriders, who were ranked No. 4 in the preseason NJCAA Division I poll before falling to the Receiving Votes category this week, opened up play Saturday with an early run in the bottom of the first inning off of MCC starting pitcher Joel Lopez (Dorado, PR/Jose S. Alegria). The Tigers tied things up in the top of the second on an RBI-single from Melendez, scoring Ryan Thrasher (Sherwood Park, AB/St. Francis Xavier) who doubled to lead off the inning.
Crowder jumped back on top with a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the second, but relief pitcher Kolton Gonnerman (Centerville, IA/Centerville) limited the Roughriders to no runs in the third, fourth, and fifth innings. Thrasher and Melendez teamed up in the sixth inning to spark the offense. Thrasher belted a leadoff home run, his fourth career shot. Bryan Ventura (Carolina, PR/Next Level America) followed up the home run with a bunt single before Melendez crushed a two-run shot to put MCC on top, 4-3.
Crowder eventually chased Gonnerman and found success off of Todd Oberthien (Solon, IA/Solon) as the Roughriders plated five runs in the bottom of the sixth to take an 8-4 lead. Trailing by four in their final at bat, the Tiger offense was able to build off of their sixth-inning success. Seven straight batters reached base as MCC tied the game at eight. Unfortunately, the Roughriders had their last at bat, and after loading the bases, a walk-off single ended the game in favor of Crowder.
Ventura and Melendez each finished with three hits while Thrasher, Dylan Yeager (White Rock, BC/Earl Marriot), and Bennett Lopez (Dorado, PR/PRBA) each collected two knocks. JD Barr (South Sioux City, NE/Bishop Heelan Catholic) was credited with the loss in the seventh.
The Roughriders took another early lead in the nightcap, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first. After a scoreless first from the Tigers, MCC found its groove once again, exploding for seven runs in the top of the second. All seven runs came with two outs, including a two-run double from Engel Rosario (Santo Domingo, DR/Cenapec). Crowder was able to chip away, scoring four runs in the bottom half of the frame to pull within one, 7-6.
A three-run fourth from Crowder put the Tigers behind once again, but a two-run single in the fifth from Bennett Lopez tied the game up at nine. A sixth-inning sacrifice fly from Brett Braida (Chariton, IA/Chariton) scored Ventura from third to put MCC back on top, 10-9.
Another late rally, this time a four-run sixth from the Roughriders proved costly as the Tigers were unable to make up for the deficit in the seventh. Tsubasa Maruyama (Yokohama, Japan/Yokosuke Gakuin) was tagged with the loss.
Both teams resume play tomorrow afternoon for a doubleheader with first pitch slated for 1:00 PM.
