NIACC sweeps Iowa Central
MASON CITY - The NIACC baseball topped Iowa Central 9-6 in the first game of Friday's doubleheader against Iowa Central.
Jonathan Cruz hit a grand slam in the fifth inning to power the NIACC offense.
Cruz also provided much of the offense with a career-high six RBIs in the second game as the the Trojans completed the sweep of the twinbill with a 9-4 victory. Cruz hit a grand slam in the second inning, drove in a run with a double in the third inning and led off the seventh inning with a home run.
It was the 10th time this season that a NIACC player has hit at least two home runs in a single game. Austin LaDoux hit three home runs in a game against DMACC on April 3.
It's the second time in Cruz' career that he's hit two home runs in a game. Cruz also hit two home runs in a game in the final game of the NJCAA North Plains District Tournament vs. Southeast CC on May 18, 2015.
NIACC and Iowa Central wrap up the four-game series with a doubleheader Saturday starting at 1 p.m.
NIACC 9, Iowa Central 6
Iowa Central 110 040 0 - 6 10 1
NIACC 002 070 x - 9 7 0
JC Hatcher 5K, 6BB, 1HBP), Austin Surh (5) (3K, 1BB) and Fernando Villegas. Dan Loats (11K, 2BB), Danny Beizer (6) (1K, 0BB) and Blake Whitecotton. 2B - Fran Diaz (IC), Connor Enochs (N), Troy Bullingham (N). HR - Brent Jones (IC), Nolan Lepel (IC), Austin Halligan (IC), Robbie Glendinning (N), Jonathan Cruz (N). Multiple hits - Halligan 2, Junior Gomez (IC) 2, Junior Aracena (IC) 2, Enochs 2. Multiple RBIs - Glendinning 2, Cruz 4.
NIACC 9, IOWA CENTRAL 4
Iowa Central 000 020 002—4 7 3
NIACC 061 000 20x—9 9 0
George Faue (0K, 6BB), Andrew Stover (2) (4K, 3BB, 2HBP), Jared Renken (8)(0K, 0BB) and Fernando Villegas. Derek Lieurance (9K, 5BB), Tyler Jacobsen (8)(0K, 0BB) and Whitecotton. 2B – Erich Gonzalez (IC), Brandon Michie (N), Cruz (N). 3B – Halligan (IC), Austin LaDoux (N). HR – Cruz 2. Multiple hits – Gonzalez 2, Cruz 3. Multiple RBIs – Cruz 6.
