CANTON, MO. – Stymied for eight innings, the Iowa Wesleyan College baseball team came through with four runs in the ninth inning for a 4-3 comeback win over Culver-Stockton (Mo.) College Sunday afternoon at Nichols Field.
Jay Olson (Fr.-Agency, Iowa) had a tying two-run double and Diego Marquez (Jr.-Los Mochas Sinoloa, Mexico) hit a sacrifice fly to send in the lead run as the Tigers came from behind after trailing 3-0 going into the final inning. IWC got the win in its first game in more than a week and in a game that was moved to Culver-Stockton due to soft field conditions in Mount Pleasant.
The Tigers (13-10 overall) strung together four hits in the ninth, starting with singles from Roderick Barcelo (Jr.-Vega Baja, Puerto Rico), Zach Starkey (Sr.-Aurora, Ill.) and Jorge Diaz (Sr.-Orocovis, Puerto Rico). Devin Smith (Sr.-Lynwood, Ill.) followed with a sacrifice fly, and Olson followed with a double to deep center to score Starkey and Alex Zegers (Fr.-St. Catharines, Ontario), who had come on to run for Diaz.
After Frany Cruz (Sr.-Toa Baja, Puerto Rico) was walked intentionally to load the bases, Marquez came up next and hit a sac fly to score Edder Morales (Jr.-Barquisimeto, Venezuela) with what turned out to be the winning run.
The Tigers’ ninth inning outburst came after eight innings of frustration against Wildcat pitchers. IWC fell behind 2-0 in the first inning and was shut out for eight innings on just six hits. Culver-Stockton starter Brett Low shut out Wesleyan for the first five innings and Sean McGinnis added three more scoreless innings.
Hector Acevedo (Sr.-Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) pitched five innings in relief of starter Justin DeVoe (Sr.-Newton, Iowa). Acevedo allowed a run on five hits and struck out two and picked up the win to improve to 3-1 this season.
Olson had four hits for IWC and considered his early season tear, improving his average to .421 for the season. Diaz added two hits, while Cruz had his 16-game hitting streak snapped, taking the collar in four at-bats. Sal Rivera led Culver-Stockton (10-12 overall) with four of the Wildcats’ 10 hits.
Wesleyan’s next games will be Tuesday when the Tigers travel to face Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) College for a doubleheader at 1 p.m. After having its home opening games this weekend cancelled, IWC’s first home game of the season is now scheduled for a week from Tuesday when the team hosts St. Ambrose University for a doubleheader at 3 p.m. at the Mapleleaf Community Complex.
For more information regarding the IWC baseball program or any of the Tiger athletic teams, contact sports information director Adam Glatczak (319-385-6306 phone; 319-385-6384 FAX; aglatczak@iwc.edu e-mail) or log on to IWC's athletics web site at www.iwc.edu/athletics.
Box score IWC 4 CSC 3
