Arkansas City, KS
A pair of days in Kansas started with a bang and ended with a fizzle for Reiver Baseball over the weekend. IWCC (NJCAA #2, 10-4 overall) rolled into Cowley County and left even after a 4-game series with NJCAA #3 Cowley County (10-4).
Game one of the series turned into the Brett Daley show. The sophomore transfer went 4-4 at the dish including a pair of triples and a homer, all season firsts. His three runs batted in topped the squad, while four other Reivers (Sam Riola, Jevon Mason, Colin Kasperbauer and Jaden Rolffs) also turned in multi-hit games in the 17-2 romp. Jaden Rolffs two hits both cleared the wall as the last year's home run leader for the Reivers staked an early-season claim to this year's title. Connor Mackay earned his second win of the year with five strong innings, the redshirt-freshman struck out five while allowing two runs to the Tigers.
A Cooper Bowman lead off bomb go the Reivers off to a quick start in game two, but Cowley wasted little time flipping the script. The Tigers erupted for nine 1st inning runs and IWCC trailed 10-1 after two innings in the 12-4 Cowley win. Highlights for the visitors in game two included Bowman's 2-3 game and Colin Kasperbauer's first long ball of the year. Shea Zetterman pitched well in two innings of relief, allowing only one hit to the Tigers.
Sunday brought a new day, but similar results. Game one featured another homer from Rolffs and six different Reivers driving in runs. Nick Juaire, Kasperbauer and Mason all had multi-hit games as the Reivers scored a 12-8 win. Alex Firsdon picked up the win after Tanner Kohlhepp left with the game tied at five in the 4th inning. Kohlhepp allowed only three hits and three earned runs in the outing but was pulled before IWCC would retake the lead in the 6th. Firsdon allowed four Tiger hits, but only one run to earn his first victory of the season.
It took longer to break through for Cowley in game two, but just like Saturday's match-up, the Reivers watched the home team run away with the game. Crooked numbers for CCCC in the 3rd and 4th put the game out of reach before the Tigers plated their 11th run of the game to end the series finale via run rule in the 5th. Three different pitchers limited the Reivers to just two hits in the game, a Derek Shoen single and a Jevon Mason's first homer of the year. Rolffs and Aaron Staehely were the only other baserunners for the squad in the 11-1 defeat. Five different Reivers threw on the day with Jake Leger the only one to leave the game unscathed.
With the split, the Reivers and Tigers both dropped in the NJCAA rankings to 5th and 6th respectively.
Iowa Western opens their home schedule this Saturday and Sunday when Iowa Lakes comes to Doc Ross Field at the Reiver Sports Complex for a pair of double-headers. First pitch is scheduled for Saturday at 2:00 pm on campus.
Follow the team on Twitter https://twitter.com/ReiverBaseball or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Reiverbaseball/ for the latest scores, news and more.
