NIACC splits with Ellsworth

MASON CITY - The NIACC baseball team wrapped up the regular season with an ICCAC twinbill split with Ellsworth Wednesday at Roosevelt Field.

Ellsworth won the first game 7-2 and the Trojans took the nightcap 7-3.

In the second game, NIACC rallied from a 3-2 deficit with two runs in the sixth inning and three runs in the eighth inning to claim the four-run victory.

NIACC's Ben Tallman hit a 2-run home run in the second inning and Logan Milene hit a 2-run home run in the sixth inning.

In the eighth inning, the Trojans received RBI singles from Milene, Tallman and Thomas Gross.

Cole Hupke, who pitched six innings, gained the win for the Trojans. Hupke (4-0) allowed three runs (two earned) with seven strikeouts, five walks and one hit batter.

John Czeslawki pitched a scoreless seventh inning, Sam Kratz threw a scoreless eighth inning and Jon Koehn tossed a scoreless ninth inning.

In the first game, Ellsworth scored five runs in the second inning and plated two runs in the sixth inning to claim the five-run victory.

NIACC (22-25 overall, 17-23 in the ICCAC) scored single runs in the first and third innings.

NIACC, the fifth seed, opens play in the NJCAA Region XI tournament on Saturday at fourth-seed Iowa Central (31-21, 23-17). The first round of the regional tournament is a best two out of three series.

One single game is played Saturday and Sunday with a third, if necessary game, set for Sunday, as well.

The winners of the first-round series advance to the second round of the regional tournament May 14-16 in Cedar Rapids.