Falcons' Bats Come Alive in Arkansas

Falcons' Bats Come Alive in Arkansas

Harrison, Arkansas -- Pounding out 50 hits, including 15 doubles and seven home runs, and scoring 49 runs, the Indian Hills Falcons swept a four-game series from North Arkansas on Friday and Saturday.

IHCC had double-figure run totals in three of the games, winning by scores of 18-1 and 11-1 on Friday, and 7-1 and 14-0 the following day.

Not only was the hitting overpowering, but the pitching was also superb for the Falcons who gave up only nine hits and three earned runs, while striking out 28.

The Falcons started the offensive explosion in Friday's opener, unleashing a 14-hit barrage that included seven doubles and four homers, two of them by Mitch Langer. Langer and Joel Booker each had five RBIs and Junior Santos scored three runs and drove in three. Langer had three hits and Santos, Dario Polanco and Booker each had two. Six different Falcons scored at least twice.

Nick Green and Cody Hinson split the pitching duties. Green have up one hit and an earned run while stiking out six in three innings. In his three innings, Hinson allowed only one hit.

Christian Torres allowed only one safety and fanned five while going the distance in the second game, shortened to five innings by the run-rule.

Langer slugged his third homer of the day. The last four hitters in the lineup -- Jose Valdez, Langer, Paolo Montezuma and Kyle Keck -- each scored two runs and Langer drove in three. Montezuma, making his IHCC debut, went 3-for-3.

Saturday's first game was the most competitive of the series. The Falcons scored three times in the 3rd inning and added three runs in the 7th to win 7-1.

Alsis Herrera started for IHCC and allowed three hits and a run in four innings with three Ks and no walks. Jake Klancnik went the final three frames, throwing one-hit, shutout baseball with four strikeouts.

Booker was the offensive star with a 4-for-4 game that included two singles, a double and a round-tripper. He drove in three runs. Polanco had the other multiple-hit game for the Falcons.

Indian Hills saved some offense for the final game of the trip, banging out 15 hits in a 14-0 rout.

Luis Estevez, batting ninth in the order, was 4-for-4 with three RBIs. Mike Levar hammered a solo home run to open the scoring. Indian Hills erupted for seven runs in the 3rd and tallied five more in the 5th.

Keck, Polanco, Levar and Jake Lewis all had two-hit games and Levar scored four runs. Six players had multiple-RBI games.

Derek Kawlewski gave up two hits and fanned eight in four innings; Jose Marin finished the shutout with a perfect inning of relief.

The sweep lifts the season record to 5-3. Next up for the Falcons is a trip through Oklahoma and Texas Mar. 7-13.