Marshalltown, Iowa -- An extra-inning, game-winning home run by Mitch Langer may have been overshadowed by a no-hitter by Travis Neubeck as Indian Hills won both games of a conference doubleheader with Marshalltown CC on Saturday.
Langer's 9th-inning round-tripper put the finishing touches on IHCC's comeback from an early 6-0 deficit, giving the Falcons a 7-6 triumph, before Neubeck shut down the Tigers in the nightcap, facing only one batter over the minimum in a five-inning masterpiece with the Falcons romping to a 14-0 win.
After Langer's long ball put Indian Hills on top, reliever Cody Hinson had to pitch around two errors in the bottom of the inning to preserve the lead. Hinson struck out the side in his second inning of work and was credited with the win.
Marshalltown scored once in the 1st, three times in the 2nd and twice in the 3rd against starter Matt D'Ariano and reliever Bryce Collins in building a 6-0 lead after three innings.
The Falcons had only two singles through three, before getting on the board in the 4th. Langer singled home Joel Fuentes who had doubled -- one of his five hits on the day -- and Langer came home on a base hit by Jake Lewis.
IHCC tied the score at six with four runs in the 6th. Paolo Montezuma had an RBI single to score Fuentes, who had a leadoff double, Mike Levar provided a two-run double and Ben Reznicek's single brought home Levar.
Anderson Villarroel's two-run single in the 3rd gave MCC a 6-0 advantage, but the combination of Collins and Hinson shut down the Tigers after that. Marshalltown had only one hit after the 3rd. Collins fanned six in his five innings and Hinson got the three punchouts in the 9th.
Collins was coming off an effort earlier in the week in which he threw 5 2/3 innings of shutout relief and struck out four in another IHCC comeback win, against Iowa Central.
Neubeck cruised in the second game, with only two base-runners against him. He hit a man in the 2nd and he was quickly erased on a double play. The other runner reached on an error in the 5th, after which Neubeck ended the no-hitter with back-to-back Ks.
Meanwhile, Indian Hills had plenty of offense, the big blow in an 11-hit attack Fuentes' 4th-inning grand slam. Lewis also went deep, clubbing a two-run shot in the 5th.
Levar drove in three runs with a two-run double and a run-scoring single; Lewis scored four runs, adding a couple of RBI singles and a walk to his homer; and Reznicek had two singles and was hit by a pitch.
IHCC scored in all five innings, getting six in the 4th.
The series concludes with a pair of games on Sunday.