NIACC sweeps Wartburg JV

WAVERLY - The NIACC baseball team pushed its winning streak to eight games with a doubleheader sweep of the Wartburg College Junior Varsity on Thursday.

NIACC (27-17-1) won the first game 10-5 and took the second game 8-5.

The Trojans hit three home runs in the nonconference twinbill to push their ICCAC leading-total to 69. Fox Leum and Nate VanKan homered in the first game and Daniel Nikitovic homered in the second game.

In the first game, the Trojans received two hits from Leum, Kamrin Arons and Kyle Pike. Driving in two runs for the Trojans were Shane Kelleher, Bryce Ball,  Leum and VanKan.

Blake Preston (3-0) gained the win for NIACC in relief. He pitched two innings allowing two runs with two strikeouts and one walk. Riley Wikel allowed no runs in three innings to collect his second save of the season.

In the second game, Nikitovic, Ezequias Encarnacion and Ben Fitzgerald all drove in two runs to power the Trojans offense. Leum was 3 for 4 and scored two runs and Ben Fitzgerald was 3 for 3, including a double.

Evan Riefert (1-1) gained the win in relief. He pitched three innings allowing one run with one strikeout and one walk. Chase Stewart gained his fifth save in 1 1/3 innings of work allowing no runs with two strikeouts and no walks.

NIACC returns to action Saturday and Sunday at home with a four-game series at Roosevelt Field. Twinbills start both days at 2 p.m.