FORT DODGE, IOWA -- Tying a season-high with 15 hits and erupting for a season-best run total, the Ellsworth Panthers posted an 18-7 victory at Iowa Central on Sunday, snapping ECC's 13-game losing streak.  The offensive barrage was needed by a Panther team that had not scored more than 7 runs in any game in their stretch of defeats.  ECC began the weekend series with ICCC with a pair of losses Saturday, 14-4 and 15-2.

In the Sunday contest, Ellsworth spotted the Tritons a 2-0 lead, then exploded for 8 runs in the 3rd inning and had a trio of 3-run innings after that in the 4th, 6th and 9th.  Leadoff hitter Bryce Hall and number-two man Zeb Wede set the tone by scoring 4 runs apiece.  The 3rd batter in the order, Elio Narvaez, crossed the plate 3 times and Fabian Dumey and Alexis Ruiz scored twice each.  Four of ECC's 10 RBIs came from Javier Melendez.  In the 15-hit attack, Wede had 3, including the only extra-base knock, a double.  Hall, Narvaez, Melendez and JT Kostenbauer all had 2-hit games and Jose Valentin, Daviel Camacho, Dumey and Ruiz also had hits.

The ECC offensive outburst was a welcome sight after the Panthers were pretty much held in check in the doubleheader the day before.  Iowa Central scored in every inning in the opener.  All of Ellsworth's scoring came on home runs -- a 2-run shot by Wede and solo blasts by Valentin and Camacho.  Wede had a double in addition to his homer.  Narvaez started on the mound and lasted 3 innings.  Colton Sanders and Gavin Busby also pitched.

Both Panthers runs in game two scored in the 1st inning when Melendez singled home Wede and Narvaez.  The only other hit came from Tate Walker.  Ellsworth pitchers walked 14 batters as Edwin De Los Santos, Simon Victoriano, Cade Armstrong and Kenyon Santos combined for 6 innings.

The Panthers are slated to host Northeast (Neb.) on Wednesday.