GREAT BEND, KANSAS -- Ellsworth CC punctuated a sweep of a 4-game series with Dawson CC by scoring 24 runs in 5 innings in the finale on Tuesday. The set at the neutral site in Kansas began with the Panthers winning 7-3 and 9-5 on Monday, followed by 10-7 and 24-5 victories Tuesday. ECC outscored Dawson 50-20 over the four games.
Game one saw Ellsworth get off to a fast start with 3 runs in the 1st inning. The Panthers then broke a 3-3 tie with 2 runs in the bottom of the 3rd on the way to the win. Tanner Short doubled twice and drove in 2 runs, Jose Valentin singled and doubled and scored 3 times and Kristian Crespo had a single and triple for ECC. Derihan Suero started and went 4 innings, giving up 4 hits and 3 runs and striking out 6. Will Johnson was outstanding in relief, fanning 7 of the 10 batters he faced and allowing only one hit in 3 innings.
Monday's 2nd game had ECC plate 5 runs in the 2nd inning and 3 more the next inning to build an 8-0 advantage after 3 innings. Short produced another 2-hit game and Valentin, Dariel Colon and Sergio Natera all had 2 RBIs. Jean Melean and Tressin Kussmaul-Heisz both doubled. The Panthers swiped 4 bases. Starter Jaden Morris got the win on the mound, permitting only 3 hits and 2 runs and piling up 8 Ks. Dane Littell threw an inning of relief, Evan Becker got 2 outs and Logan Fragomeni came out of the bullpen to record the final out and earn the save.
A 4-run 3rd inning and a 3-run 5th led to the victory in game three. Valentin went 4-for-5 with a run and 2 RBIs. Crespo had 2 hits and leadoff hitter Natera scored two times and knocked in 2 runs. Five of the 12 hits for ECC were doubles. Crespo, Valentin, Nick Chasey, Short, Melean, Jose Roche, Colon and Angel Rivera all scored a run. Ellsworth used 3 pitchers with Jake English starting and going 4 innings, giving up just 2 hits and one earned run and striking out 5. Hadniel Payamps went the next 2 1/3 innings and Kaden Stewart got the final 2 outs.
The final game of the series was over in 5 innings with the Panthers exploding for 18 hits. They also drew 12 walks and were hit by 3 pitches. Six runs crossed the plate in the 2nd inning, 5 in the 3rd, 9 in the 4th and 4 more in the 5th inning. Kussmaul-Heisz and Roche each had a pair of doubles, and Natera and Chasey also had 2-base hits. Kussmaul and Short tripled and Short homered. Roche stroked 3 hits, and Crespo, Valentin, Chasey, Short and Rivera 2 apiece. Four players -- Kussmaul-Heisz, Roche, Crespo and Chasey -- combined to score 15 runs, 5 by Kussmaul-Heisz and 4 by Roche. Chasey and Roche each knocked in 4 runs and Crespo, Kussmaul-Heisz and Rivera 3 each. George Hansen was strong in his 3-inning stint as the starter, giving up 1 hit with 7 Ks. Ethan Whitham got an out, and Carter Arends finished up with 1 2/3 innings and 3 strikeouts.
For the series, Ellsworth used 12 different pitchers and they teamed up to strike out 40 batters.