IW baseball in full swing

The Iowa Wesleyan baseball team is moving full steam ahead.

The Tigers have been spending a lot of time outside of Iowa this time of year, traveling down south for the majority of their games, including their last two contests.

In a series of doubleheaders in Jacksonville, Illinois, against Hannibal-LaGrange University and in North Little Rock, Arkansas, against Central Baptist College, the Tigers split with both teams.

On March 4, the Tigers took on the Trojans of Hannibal-LaGrange.

In the first of two games, Iowa Wesleyan found themselves down early, 2-0, heading into the fourth inning.

The Tigers quickly tied the game with RBI singles from Phillip Guerrero and Carlos Vicente, which brought in Riley Rankin and Derek Marrufo.

For the next four innings, both teams were at a stalemate before Drew Cook sent a ball deep into the outfield for a sacrifice fly, bringing Cristian Cordero across the plate. Rankin continued to do his thing, tallying an RBI double that sent Sage Bonner to home plate, giving the Tigers a 4-2 advantage.

Despite the two-run lead, it wouldn’t be enough as the Trojans answered back in the bottom of the eight inning with three runs of their own to retake the lead and pick up a win.

In game two, Iowa Wesleyan got off to another hot start. The Tigers quickly built a 2-0 lead following the first inning, with Cordero scoring on a wild pitch and a Froymer Ortega walk with the bases loaded.

They continued to pour it on in the second. Iowa Wesleyan put two more runs on the board to make it a 5-0 ballgame.

Hannibal-LaGrange chipped away at the lead in the third, scoring two runners, but it didn’t make a difference.

In the fourth, Cook hit a double to move Ortega across home plate, giving the Tigers a 6-2 lead. Vicente made his way to the plate again and connected with a single allowing Dominic Gerace to get home.

The RBI single gave Iowa Wesleyan an 8-2 advantage, sealing the win.

Iowa Wesleyan returned to the field on March 8 in North Little Rock, Arkansas taking on Central Baptist College.

In the first of a doubleheader against the Mustangs, the Tigers picked up a win.

Central Baptist drew first blood earning two runs in the bottom of the first, but Iowa Wesleyan would answer back.

In the second inning the Tigers struck back. With the bases loaded, Corbin Broeker stepped up to the plate. Broeker sent the ball down the right field line for an RBI single, scoring Cristian Cordero. Drew Cook was then walked, which brought Sage Bonner home and tied the game at 2-2.

Cook produced once again in the third inning with a deep sac fly to center field, bringing Froymer Ortega across home plate for the lead, 3-2.

The Mustangs would tied the game once more following the fourth inning, but the Tigers didn’t sweat.

With the bases loaded once again, Broeker found himself at the plate for a second time. This time around he was hit by a pitch, bringing Cordero home. Carlos Vicente then drew a walk, scoring Bonner. Finally, Dominic Gerace would be the final Iowa Wesleyan run coming off an error from the Central Baptist shortstop. The Tigers 6-3 lead would stand.

The second of the doubleheader was another close contest.

Central Baptist struck first once again with a single run in the first inning.

Playing out similarly to the first game, Iowa Wesleyan quickly grabbed the lead back, 2-1, off an error by the Mustangs shortstop and a sacrifice fly to left field.

Neither team would go down without a fight.

In the fourth inning, the lead exchanged hands once again with the Mustangs scoring two runs for a 3-2 lead.

In the fifth and sixth inning, Iowa Wesleyan answered. Bonner’s double allowed Vincente to score in fifth and Vincente’s double in the sixth scored Gerace giving the Tigers the advantage once again, 4-3.

It wasn’t mean to be though, as in the bottom of the seventh the Mustangs scored two runs to make it a 5-4 ballgame.

Iowa Wesleyan never answered back and Central Baptist came away with the win.

After the two series, the Tigers now hold a record of 5-14 in the early season.