Sanchez, Tigers dominant in shutout win over Clarke

PEOSTA ? Jacob Sanchez and Marcus Ledbetter combined on a four-hit shutout and received plenty of early offense as the Iowa Wesleyan College baseball team whitewashed Clarke University, 7-0, Tuesday afternoon at A.J. Spiegel Park.

The Tigers scored all of their runs in the first two innings and finished with 13 hits to improve to 9-6 in Midwest Collegiate Conference play and sweep the three-game series for the season against the Crusaders. IWC is now 19-22 overall, while Clarke dropped to 4-25 overall and 1-14 in the MCC.

Sanchez was in control on the mound, allowing just two hits in seven innings, striking out 11 and walking one for his seventh win of the year. Ledbetter finished the final two innings, allowing a pair of hits and getting three strikeouts in relief.

Wesleyan also got off to a good start offensively, scoring three runs in the top of the first and following up with four in the second. Michael Mendoza continued his torrid hitting pace with a two-run double to open the scoring, and Corey Amerson singled to score Mendoza later in the inning.

IWC then added four more in the second on three hits, taking advantage of a pair of Crusader errors and chasing Clarke starter Thomas Hemington from the game. Christian Arredondo singled to score Nathan Strusz, Ryan Doeppel) reached on a bases loaded walk, and Amerson hit a two-run single to make it 7-0.

Arredondo led the Tigers with three hits, while Mendoza, Amerson, Strusz and Todd Christensen all added two hits. Christensen and Mendoza also scored two runs.

Hemington allowed seven hits and all seven runs (three earned) in 1 2/3 innings before exiting. Seth Wieman came on and went the entire final 7 1/3 in relief, allowing six hits and no runs.

Iowa Wesleyan now faces an important MCC series this weekend against Waldorf College, opening with a doubleheader Saturday starting at 2 p.m. at the Mapleleaf Athletic Complex. Waldorf sits ahead of the Tigers in the conference standings at 10-4 in league play after a loss to Mount Mercy University on Tuesday. The three-game series will conclude with a nine-inning game Sunday afternoon starting at 1 p.m.