IOWA FALLS, IA – Indian Hills brought a swift end to a three-game losing streak Saturday with a pair of road victories over Ellsworth at Cadet Field, winning game one 8-3, and game two 9-1.
The Warriors were faced with their first string of losses after an outstanding 19-1 start to the season, and IHCC Head Coach Matthew Torrez was pleased to see how his team responded.
"I was really excited about our effort. After dropping a few, you're always interested to see how your team reacts," Torrez said. "The guys did a great job of coming out and handling their business."
If the old saying about momentum is the next day's starting pitcher is true, then the Warriors have gotten their mojo back in spades as IHCC got two sterling performances from Saturday's starters. In fact, the efforts of the two men that were handed the ball by Torrez were so solid the Indian Hills bullpen took the entire day off.
Wyatt Wendell extended his team-leading win total to five as the Warrior righty went the distance in game one going seven innings allowing just one earned run on eight hits and one walk while fanning six. The IHCC defense and pitching was so sound that Ellsworth only had the one earned run over Saturday's entire 16 innings of play.
"Wyatt gave us a great outing after getting some room to work by our offense," Torrez said.
IHCC set the tone early as RBI-singles from Pier-Olivier Boucher, Ricardo Van Grieken and Dave Janssen to make it 3-0, Warriors. A Shane Morrow single scored Boucher in the second and the Warriors would have more than they would need already with a 4-0 cushion over the Panthers.
"We have done good job most of the year scoring early in games," Torrez added. "We did that again today to give us some good energy."
After an unearned run in the bottom of the second inning cut it to 4-1, the Warriors extended the lead in the fifth, pushing three more across. A Noel Perez RBI-double and a Billy Rivera run-scoring single made it 6-1 and Janssen would score on a wild pitch to make it 7-1.
A Javier Melendez double plated ECC's second run of the game in the bottom of the fifth after Wendell had plunked Bryce Hall. Hall's run was followed by another Panther tally that came across on a ground out to bring the score to 7-3.
Perez would end the scoring in the opener by leading off the seventh frame with a long ball to right, his second homer of the year, to push the Warriors to an 8-3 advantage.
Wendell would retire the Panthers in order in the seventh to hand himself the victory after 101 pitches. Gavin Busby absorbed the loss for Ellsworth, giving up 14 hits and all eight runs. Jason Moist tossed 2/3 of an inning in relief.
Janssen rapped out three hits to lead the Warriors at the plate, followed by two-hits apiece from Boucher, Van Grieken, Perez and Rivera. IHCC's balance on offense has been a strength all season as seven Warriors currently have totaled between 21 and 25 RBI in 2021.
That kind of offensive equity was in full display in the nightcap in support of Warrior starter Maddux Hoaglund, who was brilliant over nine innings of work.
Just like in the opener, Indian Hills scored in inning one as a Boucher liner to center scored Ren Tachioka and Van Grieken giving the visitors an early 2-0 lead.
"We made couple mental mistakes that cost us early, but I was impressed with our composure we showed to recover and stay on top in the game," Torrez said.
Torrez' reference was to the bottom of the third which produced ECC's lone run, albeit unearned as the Warriors made an error and a wild pitch to aide the Panthers' scoring opportunity. ECC's resourcefulness cut the lead to 2-1, but the Warriors were far from done.
"After that half inning, Maddux came out and made sure momentum did not change," Torrez explained. "Our offense put some runs up later to give us room late."
The two teams would put up a bunch of zeros over the next four innings with the lone exception coming in the top of the sixth as C.J. Castillo tripled to drive in Perez to make it 3-1. IHCC would go on to score six times in the final two innings to break open what was a tight contest.
Castillo and Rivera added RBI-singles in the eighth to pad the lead to 5-1, and Van Grieken, Boucher, Janssen and Castillo all knocked in runs in the ninth in support of Hoaglund's complete-game effort.
"Maddux pitched a great game going the distance," Torrez added. "With the way the game is played now it's rare to see complete nine inning game."
Hoaglund struck out eight and walked only one over his nine innings of work. The Cadillac, Michigan native gave up seven hits over the 121-pitch effort.
Castillo went 3-for-3 with three RBI, while Perez also added three hits. Boucher was 2-for-5 with three runs knocked in, and Van Grieken also had a pair of hits, including a double and an RBI.
IHCC (21-4 overall, 16-4 ICCAC) will wrap up the four-game set with the Panthers (13-21, 6-17) this afternoon back in Iowa Falls. Sunday's doubleheader from Cadet Field starts at noon.
GAME ONE
Indian Hills 310 030 1 – 8 14 1
Ellsworth 010 020 0 – 3 9 1
Wyatt Wendell and David Janssen. Gavin Busby and Kainoa Torres.
W – Wendell, 5-0. L – Busby.
E – Rivera. LOB – IH 9, ECC 4. DP – IH 3, ECC 1. 2B – Perez. HR – Perez. RBI – Boucher, Janssen, Morrow, Perez 2, Rivera, Van Grieken. SAC – Castillo. SB – Boucher, Janssen 2, Morrow, Rivera 2, Tachioka, Van Grieken
GAME TWO
Indian Hills 200 001 024 – 9 14 1
Ellsworth 001 000 000 – 1 7 1
Maddux Hoaglund and David Janssen. Charlie Jaeger, Matt Nolan (8), Simon Victoriano (9) Broderick Bittle (9) and Ybrahim Quevedo.
W – Hoaglund, 4-0. L – Jaeger
E – Rivera. LOB – IH 7, ECC 7. DP – ECC 1. 2B – Van Grieken. 3B – Castillo. RBI – Boucher 3, Castillo 3, Janssen, Rivera, Van Grieken. SAC – Janssen, Tachioka. SB – Castillo, Ebest, Janssen, Tachioka, Van Grieken. CS – Boucher, Rivera 2