Marshalltown, IA—The Marshalltown Community College baseball team opened up its 2015 home schedule with a pair of losses to cross-division opponent Ellsworth Community College on Tuesday afternoon. The Tigers fell 5-1 in the opener in extra innings and 12-6 in game two.
The Panthers opened up the day with an unearned run off of MCC starting pitcher Joel Lopez (Dorado, PR/Jose S. Alegria) in the top of the first inning, but the Tigers answered right back in the bottom of the frame. The Tigers rattled off three straight singles in the first, and Hunter Embray (Knoxville, IA/Twin Cedars) drew a bases-loaded walk to score Pedro Lopez (Naples, FL/Naples) to tie the game.
Joel Lopez settled down after the first inning and cruised for the next seven innings, allowing just four hits. Unfortunately, the Tigers were unable to provide Lopez with any run support, stranding nine runners, including seven in scoring position through eight innings. Joel Lopez struck out five batters before Sage Sutherland (Sandy, UT/Murray) relieved the lefty in the ninth.
The Panthers benefitted from a leadoff error to start the ninth inning and scored four runs in the frame to take the extra-inning win.
Dylan Yeager (White Rock, BC/Earl Marriot) collected two hits in the loss.
Ellsworth carried its run production over to game two as the Panthers scored five runs in the first two innings. Bennett Lopez (Dorado, PR/PRBA) countered the Panthers and scored in the first inning on an RBI-double from Alexis Melendez (Trujillo Alto, PR/IBAHS), and Bennett Lopez returned the favor, scoring Bryan Ventura (Carolina, PR/Next Level America) and Anderson Villarroel (Caracas, Venezuela/U.E. Santisima Caridad) on a two-out double in the second.
Ellsworth scored at least one run in every inning while the Tigers were limited to just one scoring frame after the second inning, a three-run fifth. Trevor Swartz (Fremont, IA/Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont) and Pedro Lopez both provided RBI-singles, but the Panthers were too far ahead for the Tigers to chip away at the lead anymore.
Bennett Lopez finished the game 2-4 at the plate with two RBI. Starting pitcher Austin Gridley (Fairfield, IA/Fairfield) was tagged with the loss.
The Tigers hit the road on Wednesday for a doubleheader at Southwestern Community College for a 1:00 PM start.
