NIACC completes sweep of Ellsworth

IOWA FALLS - For the second straight season, the NIACC baseball team is the co-ICCAC regular season champion.

And for the second straight season, the Trojans enter the NJCAA Region XI tournament as the No. 2 seed.

NIACC (36-17) swept Ellsworth on Saturday 10-5 and 19-6 to wrap up a 16-8 conference season.

The Trojans share the regular-season league title with Iowa Central (33-16). The Tritons, who was 2-2 with NIACC in their 4-game series, gain the No. 1 seed based on splitting their series with No. 3 seed Southeastern as NIACC was 1-3 in their series with the Blackhawks.

Both Iowa Central and NIACC receive first-round byes in the seven-team double-elimination tournament that starts Thursday at Riverfront Stadium in Waterloo.

NIACC plays its first game of the tournament at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. Iowa Lakes and Ellsworth meet in a play-in game at noon on Thursday with the winner meeting No. 3 seed Southeastern at 7 p.m. Thursday with that winner facing the Trojans.

In Saturday's first game win over the Ellsworth, Cam Shannon was 3-3, including a double and home run, with four RBIs. Matt Schwarz was 2-4, including a double, with two RBIs and Bryce Ball was 2-4, including a home run, with two RBIs.

Ryan Huntington (4-3) gained the win allowing five runs with six strikeouts in five innings of work.

In the second game, Nate Van Kan hit a grand slam. Joey Werner was 3-5, including a home run, with four runs scored and three RBIs, Ezequias Encarnacion was 2-4 with three RBIs, and Bryce Ball was 4-5, including a double, with three runs scored and two RBIs.

Also for the Trojans in game two, Schwarz was 2-4, including a double with three runs scored and Connor Enochs was 3-6, including a double, with two runs scored.