ESTHERVILLE, IOWA -- The Ellsworth baseball team lost all four games of a weekend conference series at Iowa Lakes.  The Panthers were defeated 13-2 and 18-0 on Saturday and 16-5 and 12-5 Sunday.

The Panthers' best chance at a victory came in the series finale, a game in which they were tied with the Lakers, 5-5, after 7 1/2 innings.  But Iowa Lakes plated 7 runs in their 8th inning, with the go-ahead tally scoring on a bases-loaded hit batsman.  Sophomore lefty Cade Armstrong had a strong start for ECC, giving up five hits and two earned runs with 3 strikeouts in his 5 innings of work.  Jonathan Rosado suffered the loss in relief.  Alexis Ruiz had a 2-hit game for Ellsworth, Elio Narvaez drove in 2 of their runs and Bryce Hall tripled, scored a run and knocked in one.

Sunday's first game saw ECC score 4 of their 5 runs in the 3rd inning.  They had hits from Jalen Aguiniga, Javier Melendez, Hall and Nick Chasey.  Melendez picked up 2 RBIs and Sergio Natera and Ruiz brought in one run each.  The first 5 hitters in the lineup -- Aguiniga, Zeb Wede, Melendez, Hall and Chasey -- scored the 5 runs.  The Panthers used Miguel Baez, Jason Moist and Colton Sanders on the mound with Baez tagged with the loss.

Saturday was a rough day for the Panthers who had their offense stymied by the ILCC pitching.  ECC had only 2 hits in each game, both of them by Wede and Natera.  Jose Valentin had the lone RBI in game one.  Gavin Busby started and was replaced by Sanders in the 1st inning.  Simon Victoriano threw an inning out of the bullpen.

Iowa Lakes scored in every inning in the nightcap as 4 ECC pitchers walked 15 batters and hit 4 more.  Ellsworth sent Edwin De Los Santos, Ethan Whitham, Kenyon Santos and Jose Torres to the hill.

ECC will play a doubleheader at Northeast (Neb.) CC on Tuesday before finally getting to play in Iowa Falls this weekend, their first home contests of the spring.  The Panthers will host Iowa Central on Saturday and Sunday.