Council Bluffs, Iowa -- Iowa Western won three of four games from Indian Hills in a weekend series that started the conference season for both teams. The sides split a Saturday doubleheader, Iowa Western winning 13-5 and the Falcons answering with a 3-2 victory. Iowa Western broke a 1-1 deadlock with four runs in the bottom of the 6th to claim the second game on Sunday, 5-1, after the Reivers had posted a 7-5 win in game one.
The Falcons plated a run in the top of the 7th and relief pitcher Zachary Fascia made it stand up with a scoreless bottom of the inning in IHCC's lone win in the series. Oracio DeLeon started and worked six strong innings for the Falcons, limiting Iowa Western to five hits and two earned runs with a pair of walks and four Ks. Fascia earned the save, stiking out one in his only inning. Indian Hills' RBIs came from Dillon Nelson, Luis Gimenez and Will Zimmerman, and the runs were scored by Ryan Humeniuk, Zimmerman and Hunter Capps. Gimenez and Zimmerman both had two-hit games.
In Saturday's first game, Indian Hills scored three times in the 3rd to go up 3-1, but the Reivers put up six runs in the 4th, knocking out IHCC starter Jacob Thiessen, and four more in the 6th inning. The numbers two- and three-hitters in the Falcons' lineup, Nelson and Gimenez combined to go 7-for-7. Gimenez had two singles and two doubles and Nelson also doubled twice. IHCC pitchers didn't help themselves with 11 walks.
Sunday began with a lot of offense -- Indian Hills scoring three in the top of the 1st in game one and Iowa Western responding with four in the bottom of the inning. After that, IWCC got a run in the 4th and two more in the 6th while the Falcons tallied single runs in the 5th and 7th. IHCC had the tying run at the plate after getting to within 7-5 in the top of the 7th but a caught stealing and popup ended the threat. Indian Hills outhits the Reivers 9-8 with leadoff hitter Humeniuk knocking out three hits and scoring three times. Gimenez had a two-hit game and Fascia drove in two runs. The Falcons used four pitchers with starter Jared Spearing taking the loss.
Indian Hills was held to six hits in the nightcap and Iowa Western snapped a 1-1 tie with a four-run 6th inning to win the series. Zimmerman drove in Gimenez with IHCC's only run.
The Falcons' season record is 14-9 heading into a Tuesday doubleheader with North Central Missouri.