CEDAR RAPIDS – Iowa Wesleyan College pitcher Hector Acevedo (Sr.-Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) allowed just six hits over nine innings and the Tigers righted the ship Tuesday afternoon with a 6-4 win over Mount Mercy College in Midwest Collegiate Conference play.
IWC jumped out to an early 5-1 lead and held on after the Mustangs closed in during the middle innings, salvaging the final game of the three-game series between the two teams that was supposed to end Sunday but saw the finale postponed to Tuesday. The Tigers also narrowed the gap between the two teams in the MCC standings, improving to 8-5 in conference (23-15 overall) while Mount Mercy dropped to 8-4 in league (18-18 overall).
Wesleyan got seven hits out of the top three in its batting order and helped itself with the long ball, launching three home runs in the game. IWC also received another excellent performance from Acevedo, who struck out ten and allowed just two earned runs to improve to 6-1 this season.
Acevedo also pitched with a lead the whole way as the Tigers took the lead in the first inning and never trailed. Jared Zueck (Jr.-Williamsville, Ill.) and Nelcicio York (Jr.-St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles) opened the game with back-to-back singles, and Frany Cruz (Sr.-Toa Baja, Puerto Rico) followed with a three-run home run for a 3-0 lead.
Ater the Mustangs answered with a run in the bottom of the first, IWC struck again as York hit a two-run shot in the second to make it 5-1. The Tigers would cool down, though, and the Mustangs added single runs in innings three, four and five to cut the lead to 5-4.
Mount Mercy would get no closer, though, and Wesleyan received an insurance run in the eighth when Edder Morales (Jr.-Barquisimeto, Venezuela) hit his team-leading eighth homer of the year for a 6-4 lead. Mount Mercy threatened briefly in the bottom of the eighth, putting a runner at third with one out, but did not score. Acevedo then closed the door in the ninth, striking out a pair before getting final batter Rey Lopez to fly out to end the game.
York led the Tigers with three hits, while Zueck had two hits from the lead-off position and reached base in four of of his five at-bats. Cruz and Morales also had two hits each. Wesleyan out-hit the Mustangs 10-6 but had to overcome three errors.
The Tigers will play another single nine-inning game tomorrow at St. Ambrose University in Davenport. Game time will be 6 p.m.
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 6 MMC 4
