COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA -- According to Ellsworth CC baseball records it had been more than 20 years since the Panthers had defeated Iowa Western CC before Saturday's doubleheader.  The Panthers snapped that lengthy losing streak with a 6-5 come-from-behind win in the first game, and although ECC dropped the last 2 games of the series, they still had the distinction of handing Iowa Western, ranked 4th in the latest NJCAA Division I poll, only its 2nd loss of the season.  The Reivers took the 2nd contest Saturday, 13-3, and downed Ellsworth 7-3 on Sunday.

The Panthers found themselves trailing 4-0 after 3 innings in game one of the series.  They put up 3 runs in the top of the 5th to pull within a run, then, after IWCC got that run back in the bottom of the inning, Ellsworth pushed across 2 runs to forge a 5-5 tie in the 6th before tallying the game-winner in the 7th.  

ECC outhit Iowa Western, 13-9, and only one of the Reivers' hits went for extra bases.  Diego Dinzey had 3 of ECC's hits and Sergio Natera, Tanner Short, Kristian Crespo and Dariel Colon each had 2 hits.  Jose Valentin and Nick Chasey also had hits.  Six different players scored a run and Natera drove in a pair.  Natera, Short and Dinzey doubled and Short also had a 3-base hit.

Derihan Suero produced his 2nd straight strong start for ECC, giving up 3 earned runs and striking out 3 in 5 innings.  Evan Becker pitched a scoreless 6th inning and got the win; Will Johnson allowed 2 baserunners in the bottom of the 7th, but stranded them to nail down the save.

The Reivers came back with a vengeance to gain a split with their big inning a 5-run 6th.  Valentin and Crespo had 2-hit games, Natera, Jean Melean and Crespo scored the ECC runs and Melean knocked in one with a sacrifice fly.  Valentin and Dinzey stroked doubles and Crespo tripled.  Ellsworth used 5 pitchers and although they permitted only 7 hits they walked 13 batters.  Memphis Moore was the only one of the 5 who didn't give up a run.

Ellsworth piled up 11 hits in Sunday's single game but could only manage 3 runs.  Valentin doubled and homered and had all 3 RBIs.  Short had 3 hits and Melean 2.  Again, 5 ECC pitchers took the mound.  Jake English was effective with a perfect inning of relief and Becker also provided a shutout inning.  Logan Fragomeni went 3 innings in relief and fanned 4.

The Panthers pulled even for the spring with the first-game win, but saw their record fall to 10-12 with the 2 losses.  They are back in action at NIACC for a doubleheader on Wednesday.