CENTERVILLE, IOWA -- After 6 1/2 innings on Sunday the Ellsworth Panthers had a chance to take a 3-game series from Indian Hills, one of the conference leaders.  The Panthers were ahead 7-5 heading into the bottom of the 7th, but the Warriors tallied 6 runs in the 7th and went on to claim the victory, 11-7, and win the series 2-games-to-1.  The action began with a couple of blowout wins on Saturday, one for each side.  After IHCC romped to a 12-0 decision, the Panthers put together maybe their best game of the spring to win the nightcap, 13-0.

The lopsided ECC victory featured a season-high 16-hit attack and splendid pitching by sophomore right-hander Jason Moist.  Moist worked 6 2/3 shutout innings, allowing only 5 hits and 3 walks while striking out 4.  He threw 101 pitches in collecting his 1st win of the year.  Ethan Whitham followed Moist by getting 3 outs, Colton Sanders whiffed the only man he faced and Jonathan Rosado finished up in the 9th.  Jose Valentine led the offensive numbers for the Panthers, getting 4 hits and driving in 5 runs.  Valentine singled home Elio Narvaez in the 1st inning after the Panthers started the scoring with Narvaez's RBI hit that plated Zeb Wede.  Javier Melendez, one of 5 Panthers with 2 hits, knocked in Bryce Hall with a single to make it 3-0.  Valentine stroked a run-scoring single and JT Kostenbauer tripled home a pair of runs in the 5th, Valentine added a 2-run single and Hall slammed a 2-run homer as ECC added to their scoring.  Hall, Narvaez, Kostenbauer and Kristian Crespo joined Melendez with 2-hit games.

Indian Hills used two 6-run innings to polish off the Panthers in the first game Saturday.  ECC was limited to 3 hits, by Narvaez, Daviel Camacho and Kostenbauer.  Narvaez threw a complete-game for the Panthers.

In Sunday's contest, Ellsworth scored one run in the 2nd and 2 in the 3rd, 5th and 6th innings to grab the lead, 7-5.  But Indian Hills' big 6-run frame allowed them to win the game and the series.  The Panthers banged out 17 hits, one more than the previous season-best total they registered the day before.  Melendez, Valentine and Crespo all had 3 hits and Wede and Narvaez each had 2.  Melendez and Kostenbauer scored twice and Valentine picked up 3 RBIs.

The Panthers play 2 games at Kirkwood on Tuesday.