Century Mark: No. 10 NIACC hits 100th home run in doubleheader sweep
By JARED PATTERSON, Of The Globe Gazette
MASON CITY — There were a couple of instances Wednesday when the NIACC baseball team squared around to bunt.
There's no need, really, because the No. 10 Trojans are much better at playing long ball than small ball as they hit the 100 home-run plateau for the season Wednesday in a doubleheader sweep (11-10 and 14-4 in five innings) of Dakota County.
The previous record for home runs in a season for NIACC was 82, which was set last spring. That mark is deep in the rear-view mirror as NIACC preps for this weekend's series with Ellsworth as three teams (NIACC, Southeastern, Kirkwood) will vie for the ICCAC regular-season title.
"That means a lot to us," NIACC sophomore Spencer Halloran said. "We focus on hitting the ball hard, and hitting the ball hard results in home runs. That makes us happy, makes the coaches happy. It contributes to our wins and we take a lot of pride in hitting it out of the park."
Just how historical is NIACC's record-shattering season of hitting it out of the park?
According to coach Travis Hergert, the Trojans are six away from tying and seven away from setting the ICCAC record for home runs in a season.
"I think it says a lot about our approach and how we go about our business," Hergert said. "Our approach is to hit the ball hard, and even our outs were loud outs tonight. A hundred home runs is something that doesn't happen very often."
What makes NIACC's lineup so lethal is that every spot in the order features a player with long-ball potential.
On Wednesday, Halloran, Connor Enochs, Brandon Michie, Troy Bullingham, Robbie Glendinning and Malique Ziegler (twice) all left the yard. Despite a sloppy finish to Game 1 in which Dakota County scored seven times in the top of the seventh to turn a blowout into one-run game, the offense did just enough.
In the nightcap, NIACC's lineup of sluggers was superb from the start. It scored four runs before an out was recorded, and Noah Egger was efficient on the mound in his five innings of work.
Over the doubleheader, leadoff hitter Ziegler was 6 for 8 with nine RBIs and two homers.
"We've had a challenge that we couldn't hit as many (home runs) as last year, and that's something we've worked toward," Halloran said.
The Trojans, now 38-12 overall and 15-1 in the friendly confines of Roosevelt Field, play two at Ellsworth Friday before hosting the Panthers to close the regular season Saturday.
NIACC 11, DAKOTA COUNTY 10
Dakota County 002 001 7 – 10 17 1
NIACC 127 100 x – 11 11 2
Andrew Lein (3K, 4BB), Dylan L'Herpiniere (3) (5K, 0BB) and Wyatt Meyer. Mat Hudson (4K, 3BB), Danny Beizer (7) (0K, 0BB) and Blake Whitecotton. HR – Wyatt Meyer (D), Nolan Ryan (D) 2, Spencer Halloran (N), Connor Enochs (N), Brandon Michie (N). 2B – Tyson Troscinski (D), Malique Ziegler (N), Enochs, Blake Whitecotton (N). Multiple hits – Ryan 4, Troscinski 2, Brady Casperson (D) 2, Evan Rogers (D) 2, Nick Seipel (D) 2, Ziegler 3, Whitecotton 2, Enochs 2. Multiple RBIs – Ryan 5, Meyer 3, Ziegler 3, Enochs 4.
NIACC 14, DAKOTA COUNTY 4 (5)
Dakota County 013 00 – 4 8 3
NIACC 430 7x – 14 12 3
Nick Bentley (2K, 3BB), Cole Nonweiler (4) (0K, 3BB), Saliel Rivera (4) (1K, 0BB) and Jack Piram. Noah Egger (2K, 1BB) and Austin LaDoux. HR – Jordan Willerson (D), Malique Ziegler (N) 2, Robbie Glendinning (N), Troy Bullingham (N). 2B – Brady Casperson (D), Brandon Dorshak (D), Glendinning. Multiple hits – Casperson 2, Willerson 2, Ziegler 3, Glendinning 3, Bullingham 2. Multiple RBIs – Willerson 2, Ziegler 6, Glendinning 4, Bullingham 3.
