Council Bluffs -- By virtue of a weekend 3-1 series win against Iowa Western, Indian Hills vaulted over the Reivers and into first place in the Region 11 standings.
The Falcons wrapped up the series by sweeping Sunday's doubleheader by scores of 7-5 and 8-4. They got off to a good start with an 8-6 win in the first game on Saturday, before losing the nightcap, 12-4.
IHCC finishes the series with a conference mark of 6-2, a game ahead of the Reivers' 5-3 record.
The Falcons got contributions up and down the lineup in the four games and eight pitchers chipped in with good outings in the three wins.
Both of Sunday's starters -- Derek Kawlewski and Nick Green -- went five innings and then turned things over to the bullpen. Johno Rodriguez saved the opening game with a strikeout of the only batter he faced. Jose Marin came on for Green in game two and faced the minimum number of hitters in his two-inning stint. Marin also finished off the first game of the series with a perfect inning of relief.
That game saw Indian Hills hang on, after leading 8-3 going into the bottom of the 7th. After the Reivers plated three runs, Marin got a strikeout, strikeout and popup to nail down the win.
Starter Christian Torres, like Kawlewski and Green on Sunday, gave coach Cam Walker five solid innings. He allowed five hits and one earned run with six Ks.
Indian Hills got on the scoreboard first, as they did in all three wins, when Mike Levar singled home Mitch Langer in the 2nd inning. Dario Polanco tripled home one of two 3rd inning runs and Edgar Lebron had an RBI single in the 4th.
After the first two batters struck out in the 5th, Paulo Montezuma launched a home run and, after a walk to Langer, Jake Lewis and Levar had back-to-back run-scoring doubles. Levar singled home an insurance run in the top of the 7th.
Levar was 4-4 with three RBIs, Langer and Lebron had two-hit games and Langer scored three times.
Eight errors hurt the Falcons' chances in the second game. Iowa Western jumped out to an early lead -- they were up 7-0 after three -- and after the Falcons tallied three runs in the 4th, the Reivers got four in the bottom of the inning to go ahead 11-3.
Four of IHCC's hits were for extra bases -- doubles by Montezuma, Junior Santos and Langer, and a triple by Polanco. Polanco, Santos, Montezuma and Langer had RBIs and Joel Booker, Polanco, Santos and Montezuma scored the runs.
Indian Hills set the tone for Sunday's sweep, by taking an early 3-0 lead in the first game. They pounded out 11 hits including three by Booker, who had a double, triple and homer. Lebron also homered and scored two runs, Polanco had two hits and two RBIs and Caleb Ratzman scored twice and had a pair of hits.
Polanco had an RBI double to bring home Booker in the 1st and Booker went deep in the second. Lebron had his solo homer in the 4th, before Booker tripled and scored on Polanco's single.
Booker provided a two-run lead with a run-scoring double in the 6th.
Reliever lefty Cody Hinson got two Ks to start the bottom of the 7th and, after an error, Rodriguez's strikeout cemented the win.
The Falcons kept the momentum going early in game two, scoring three runs in the 1st, two in the 2nd and one in the 3rd to go ahead 6-2 after three innings.
Santos and Montezuma had RBI singles in the 1st andSantos had a two-run single in the 2nd after Ratzman tripled to start the inning.
In the 7th, Booker and Polanco had back-to-back walks and Montezuma and Langer provided insurance with RBI singles.
Ratzman, Santos and Montezuma each had two hits and Santos and Montezuma combined for five RBIs. The top three hitters in the order -- Ratzman, Booker and Polanco -- all scored two runs.
Marin was outstanding in relief of Nick Green, facing six batters in two innings of relief.
Indian Hills has non-league games against Iowa Central and Southeastern this week before hosting Marshalltown for a four-game conference series at Pat Daugherty Field next weekend.