Centerville, IA – Freshman Daniel Figueroa (Toa Alta, Puerto Rico/Leadership Christian Academy) delivered the game-winning squeeze bunt in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Indian Hills Baseball a 7-6 win over visiting Ellsworth Community College at Pat Daugherty Field on Tuesday.

After giving up a two-run lead in the ninth inning, the Warriors rallied in the bottom of the final frame. With a runner on, Tucker Ebest (Austin, TX/Lasa) singled to center to put Gerardo Villarreal (Laredo, TX/United South) on third. Figueroa, the team's leading hitter entering the day, laid down a bunt to the right side as Villarreal slid in for the game-winning run.

Figueroa, who came off the bench for the Warriors collected two of the team's seven hits on the day. Sleiter Surriel (Pleasantville, NJ/Pleasantville) added two knocks, including a double for the Warriors.

Starting pitcher Arturo Rodriguez (San Diego, CA/San Ysidro) went 4.2 innings for the Warriors. Rodriguez struck out a career-high nine batters, including five looking. The COVID-Freshman improves to 2-1 overall on the mound this year.

The Warriors jumped out to a 4-0 lead after three innings of play, including a three-run third inning as Figueroa drove in a run on a single and later scored on a two-run single for Surriel. The Panthers chipped away at the lead, adding two runs in the fourth and two more in fifth.

The Warrior bullpen relieved Rodriguez in the fifth and the trio of Dade Hensley (Mason, OH/Mason), Sam Hart (Highlands Ranch, CO/ThunderRidge), and Andrew Beissner (Houston, TX/St. Pius X) held Ellsworth scoreless until the ninth inning which allowed the Warriors to take a 6-4 lead with two runs in the eighth. Adrian Vargas (Caracas, Venezuela/Instituto Central de Educacion Ice)) drove in Suriel for the initial lead before Ricardo Van Grieken (Merida, Venezuela/San Luis) singled to score Thomas Emerich (Ava, MO/Ava) for the two-run advantage.

Ellsworth responded with two runs in the top half of the ninth to set the stage for Figueroa's dramatics in the bottom of the ninth.

Gercal Reyes Alvarado (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic/Oratorio Maria Auxiladora) earned the win on the mound for the Warriors, his first of the season.

The Warriors are back in action Saturday afternoon at Pat Daugherty Field for a doubleheader with Southwestern Community College. First pitch is set for 1:00 PM.