IOWA FALLS, IOWA -- The ECC baseball team concluded the 2022 spring season with a 3-game series against Iowa Western CC, with the first 2 games played in Iowa Falls and the finale in Council Bluffs.  The Reivers, ranked No. 9 in the latest NJCAA DI poll, handed the Panthers 4-0 and 11-4 losses on Saturday, then finished the sweep with an 11-0 win on Monday on their home field.

In the opening game of the series, Ellsworth was blanked on 4 hits -- singles by Bryce Hall, Javier Melendez, Elio Narvaez and Sergio Natera.  Narvaez registered his team-leading 4th complete game, surrendering 10 hits and striking out 3 in going the distance.  He threw 92 pitches, 64 for strikes.

The Panthers came out swinging in game two, scoring all 4 of their runs in the 2nd inning to take a quick 4-0 lead.  Edgar Andujar started the uprising with a solo home run, his 1st of the year.  Melendez scored Alexis Ruiz wih a single, Hall came home on a wild pitch and Melendez scored on an error to account for the 4 runs.  But ECC didn't score again and the Reivers got the bats going to complete the doubleheader victory.  Melendez had 4 of Ellsworth's 7 hits, going 4-for-5.  Natera, Andujar and Ruiz had the other hits.  Jason Moist started on the mound and last 4 2/3 innings before being replaced by Colton Sanders.  Cade Armstrong finished up with 2 innings.

The final game of the series was moved to Iowa Western's field and they won big.  JT Kostenbauer's 6th-inning single was the only hit for ECC.  Jonathan Rosado and Charlie Jaeger split the pitching duties with Jaeger fanning 6 in his 4 1/3 inning stint.

The Panthers ended the year with a 12-40 record.  The roster listed 22 sophomores, who ended their ECC careers at season's end.