Centerville, IA – An eight-run sixth inning catapulted the Indian Hills Baseball team to a 16-8 win over North Iowa Area Community College on Sunday afternoon to extend the team's winning streak to an even 10 games. Thomas Emerich (Ava, MO/Ava) delivered two home runs and six RBI in the win.
Originally scheduled for a doubleheader, Sunday's affair turned into just one single seven inning Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) matchup due to unfavorable weather moving in the Centerville area. The two teams will resume action on Monday afternoon for a doubleheader, two nine inning conference matchups with first pitch set for 12:00 PM at Pat Daugherty Field.
Sunday's contest turned into a slugfest between the two squads as the Warriors (17-5, 7-0) scored at least 16 runs in a game for the second time in three contests after defeating Southeastern Community College 19-6 on Tuesday. Emerich opened up the scoring Sunday with a solo home run in the second, his first career longball. The Warriors tacked on three more runs in the frame, including a two-run single from Ricardo Van Grieken (Merida, Venezuela/San Luis).
The Trojans (12-9, 2-4) responded with the next six runs to take the lead in the fourth. The Warriors' leadoff hitter Daniel Figueroa (Toa Alta, Puerto Rico/Leadership Christian Academy) drilled a single up the middle for an RBI knock before Van Grieken delivered a sacrifice fly to tie the game at six in the fourth.
NIACC struck again in the fifth with two more runs before Emerich delivered another blow, an RBI double to left in the fifth. Adrian Vargas (Caracas, Venezuela) added an RBI single in the same frame to once again tie the game, this time at eight a side.
The Warrior bullpen, consisting of Sam Hart (highlands Ranch, CO/ThunderRidge) and Dade Hensley (Mason, OH/Mason) held the Trojan bats scoreless as the Warriors broke things open in the bottom of the sixth. With the bases loaded and one out, Emerich drove an 0-1 pitch to left field for a grand slam and a 12-8 Warrior lead. Indian Hills plated four more runs in the frame as Figueroa, Van Grieken, and Noah Butler (Houston, TX/Goose Creek Memorial) all recorded RBI base hits.
Emerich's career day concluded with a 3-4 showing at the plate, two runs and six RBI to raise his season batting average to .313. Figueroa finished the day 3-4 with three runs scored and is now hitting a team-best .431 on the year.
Van Grieken drove in five runs to take the team lead with 21 on the year. Vargas, Diego Aragon (Fort Collins, CO/Fort Collins), and James Dutton (Toronto, ON/Forest Hill Collegiate Institute) all added two hits as the Warriors pounded out 17 knocks on the day.
Hensley picked up the win in relief after tossing a scoreless 1.2 innings of action with three strikeouts. Hensley moves to 2-0 on the year.
Monday's doubleheader can be seen live on GoHillsTV.
Fans can follow along with live stats for GAME 1 and GAME 2.
