IOWA FALLS, IOWA -- Kirkwood CC rallied from a 4-0 deficit with five runs in the top of the 7th inning and then poured it on in the second game to take both halves of an ICCAC doubleheader from Ellsworth on Thursday. The first game final was 5-4 and the second was 21-11.
ECC was cruising to an apparent first-game victory before the late rally by the Eagles. Ellsworth starter Trey Morris shut out KCC for six innings, allowing only four hits and striking out five before Kirkwood slugged a pair of two-run homers in the 7th, one off Morris and the other off Jason Moist, to claim the win. The Panthers got two runs in the 1st and added single tallies in the 3rd and 5th. Victor Lara's double was the only extra-base hit for Ellsworth. Fabian Dumey, Javier Melendez and TJ Truso all singled. Bryce Hall and Ryan Boothe both walked three times.
The nightcap saw the Panthers get away to a 3-2 lead after two innings, then Kirkwood plated six in the 3rd and had back-to-back five-run innings in the 7th and 8th. Morris homered for ECC and he, Ibrahim Quevedo, Melendez and Kainoa Torrer had two-hit games. Truso knocked in three runs and Melendez and Torres two apiece. Morris, Dumey and Boothe scored two runs and Boothe swiped three bases. Kirkwood bashed six more home runs in this game and the five ECC pitchers -- Elio Narvaez, Broderick Bittle, Simon Victoriano, William Figueroa and Jose Torres -- all permitted at least two runs and combined to walk 13 batters.
Ellsworth heads to West Burlington this weekend for four games against Southeastern CC.