WEST BURLINGTON, IOWA -- The Ellsworth Panthers baseball squad took a series from Southeastern CC over the weekend, overcoming a lopsided loss in the middle game of the 3-game set to claim a come-from-behind contest on Sunday.  The Panthers started the series with an 8-6 victory in the opener, then got pulverized, 25-0, before rallying for a 10-8 decision.

ECC spotted the Blackhawks a 3-0 advantage after one half inning in game one, then used a 5-run 3rd to take the lead for good.  Winning pitcher Elio Narvaez worked 4 1/3 innings and the ECC bullpen protected the lead.  Colton Sanders and Derihan Suero combined to get the final 8 outs.  Sanders didn't allow a hit or run in his 1 2/3 innings and Suero, despite permitting a run after hitting two batters in the 9th inning, picked up the save.  Javier Melendez and Jose Valentine each scored twice and Bryce Hall, Zeb Wede, Narvaez and Fabian Dumey scored the other runs for ECC.  Hall, Melendez and Valentine collected 2 hits apiece and Valentine knocked in 2 runs.  The other RBIs came from Melendez, Dumey, Daviel Camacho and Nick Chasey.  

Ellsworth was limited to only 4 hits in Saturday's nightcap and SCC plated at least 5 runs in 3 different innings.  The hits for the Panthers were a double from Sergio Natera and singles by Melendez, Valentine and Kristian Crespo.  Natera, the last of 5 pitchers, retired all 5 hitters he faced.

In the rubber game of the series, ECC broke an 8-8 tie with a run in the 7th and tallied an insurance run in the 8th.  They led 6-3 after 2 innings and trailed 7-6 after 4 1/2, but pulled out the win, their 9th of the season.  The 3-4-5 hitters in the lineup -- Narvaez, Melendez and Valentine -- each had 2 hits.  Melendez stroked a double and a homer and Valentine's 2 safeties were both doubles.  Melendez drove in 3 and scored 2 and Valentine notched 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored.  Camacho and Chasey also knocked in runs.  The pitching story was freshman Jonathan Rosado, who threw 6 1/3 innings in relief of starter Cade Armstrong.  Rosado gave up just 4 hits and one run in recording the victory.

The Panthers are scheduled to play a doubleheader at NIACC on Wednesday.