NIACC splits with Ellsworth, wraps up second seed

IOWA FALLS - The NIACC baseball team pushed its winning streak to 15 games with a 16-1 win over Ellsworth on Saturday and wrapped up the second seed for next week's NJCAA Region XI tournament.

Ellsworth won the second game 17-16 snapping the Trojans' long winning streak.

NIACC (34-18-1 overall, 20-7-1 in the ICCAC) opens regional play at 6 p.m. on Thursday in Clinton against seventh-seed Northeast CC or eighth-seed Iowa Lakes, who meet in a play-in game Wednesday night.

In the first game Saturday, sophomore left-hander Brandon Williamson improved his record to 8-3. Williamson allowed one run on three hits with seven strikeouts and two walks in four innings of work.

NIACC pounded out 18 hits, including three home runs, to score its 16 runs. Hitting home runs for the Trojans were Kyle Pike, Ben Komonosky and Nate VanKan.

NIACC's Joey Werner collected his first career four-hit game by going 4 for 4 with three runs scored and two RBIs. VanKan drove in four runs.

In the second game, NIACC scored two runs in the top of the ninth inning to tie the contest at 16-16 and Ellsworth scored a single run in the bottom of the frame to claim the victory.

NIACC hit three home runs in the second game pushing its total in the four-game series to 15. Ezequias Encarnacion hit two home runs and Werner hit one home run in the nightcap.

Werner drove in five runs in the second game giving him 14 RBIs in the four-game set.

 A LOOK BACK AT THE 15-GAME WIN STREAK

(15 games - April 20-May 5, 2018)

NIACC 17, Marshalltown CC 9

NIACC 5, Iowa Central 2

NIACC 10, Iowa Central 7

NIACC 4, Iowa Central 0

NIACC 7, Iowa Central 3

NIACC 11, Marshalltown CC 0

NIACC 10, Wartburg JV 5

NIACC 8, Wartburg JV 5

NIACC 10, Iowa Lakes 3

NIACC 13, Iowa Lakes 12

NIACC 7, Iowa Lakes 1

NIACC 12, Iowa Lakes 4

NIACC 15, Ellsworth 4

NIACC 17, Ellsworth 16

NIACC 16, Ellsworth 1