No. 7 NIACC moves to regional title game
WATERLOO - For the third time in four seasons, the NIACC baseball team will play in the regional final. No. 7 NIACC stopped Southeastern 20-6 in eight innings to advance to Monday's NJCAA Region XI title game. NIACC (44-13) faces top-seed Southeastern in Monday's noon title game at Riverfront Stadium. The winner of the loser's bracket would have to beat the Trojans twice to claim the regional title. Southeastern (41-19) topped DMACC 6-5 in an elimination game Sunday night to advance to the regional title game. NIACC also won regional titles in 2013 and 2015. The Trojans did it the unconventional way in 2015 winning five straight elimination games on the way to the school's second-ever regional baseball title. NIACC topped Southwestern 5-2 and Ellsworth 9-1 in eight innings before stopping top-seed Southeastern by 14 runs on Sunday afternoon. NIACC played long ball in Sunday's win over Southeastern. The Trojans, who did not homer in the first two tournament wins, hit seven home runs, including two each from Robbie Glendinning and Troy Bullingham. Jonathan Cruz, Malique Ziegler and Austin LaDoux also homered for the Trojans, who now have 121 home runs this season. LaDoux' was a grand slam in the eighth inning. The 20 runs is the most in the regional tournament since Travis Hergert took over the Trojans in 2013. The previous high in the regional tournament came in a 15-9 win over Ellsworth in the 2015 regional tournament. Sophomore right-hander Dan Loats (10-1) gained the win for the Trojans and became the first pitcher in school history to win 10 games. Loats pitched seven innings allowing six runs (3 earned) with five strikeouts and three walks. NIACC 20, Southeastern 6 (8) NIACC 012 014 3 9 - 20 18 1 Southeastern 003 000 30 - 6 11 2 Grant Spranger (7K, 0BB), Sam Noel (7) (1K, 2BB), Otis Roby (7) (0K, 0BB), Blake Hargens (0K, 2BB), Joel Lopez (0K, 3BB) and Ben Schanding, Francisco Guerrero (7). Dan Loats (5K, 3BB), Tyler Jacobsen (8) (0K, 0BB) and Blake Whitecotton. 2B - Robbie Glendinning (N), Brandon Michie (N), Jonathan Cruz (N), Connor Enochs (N). HR - Malique Ziegler (N), Glendinning 2, Troy Bullingham (N) 2, Cruz, Austin LaDoux (N). Multiple hits - Ziegler 2, Glendinning 4, Bullingham 3, Cruz 2, LaDoux 2, Enochs 2, Gabriel Montero (SE) 2, Schanding 2, Adonis Lao (SE) 3, Oliver Baez (SE) 2. Multiple RBIs - Ziegler 2, Glendinning 4, Bullingham 6, Cruz 2, LaDoux 5, Lao 3, Baez 2. Thursday's results DMACC 10, Iowa Central 6 Southeastern 8, Iowa Lakes 7 Ellsworth 3, Kirkwood 1 NIACC 5, Southwestern 2 Friday's games Iowa Central 10, Iowa Lakes 4 Kirkwood 7, Southwestern 1 Saturday's games Southeastern 10, DMACC 2 (7) NIACC 9, Ellsworth 1 (8) DMACC 8, Kirkwood 4 Iowa Central 7, Ellsworth 5 Sunday's games NIACC 20, Southeastern 6 (8) DMACC 8, Iowa Cenral 7 (10) 5 p.m. (Game 13) - Southeastern vs. DMACC Monday's games Noon - NIACC vs. Southeastern/DMACC 3 p.m. - Second championship game, if necessary
