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Tritons settle for split after win streak reaches 9

Photo by Paul DeCoursey Franyelyn Diaz of Iowa Central holds a Kirkwood runner on at first base on Sunday at Barbour Field.

The Iowa Central baseball team stretched its overall win streak to nine games before running into trouble in the nightcap of a twinbill against Kirkwood here on Sunday.

The Tritons (23-12 overall, 9-5 in the ICCAC) again rode the arm of Anderson DeLeon to a 4-2 victory in the opener. The Eagles (24-11, 6-4) quickly responded, however, to post a 14-0 triumph in game two at Ed Barbour Field.

”We were the aggressor right away (in the opener) when (leadoff hitter) Austin Halligan (Fort Dodge Senior High graduate) went from first to third and then scored (in the opening inning),” ICCC head coach Justin Meyer said. ”It was good to see us set the tone early with four runs (in the first three frames), because (Kirkwood starter) Hunter Lee settled down and got into a rhythm after that.”

DeLeon (5-2) scattered five hits with two walks and nine strikeouts for the Tritons. Lee also allowed five hits and whiffed nine for the Eagles.

Iowa Central’s Kyle Snuttjer homered, while Felix Martinez and Rodny Rodriguez also drove in runs.

”Anderson was solid again,” Meyer said. ”He’s really developed his cutter (this season), which looks like a fastball but has good late movement that dives away from the hitters.”

The Tritons managed just three hits in the nightcap, and Kirkwood delivered the knockout punch with an 11-run fourth inning.

”Every game is important, especially in the conference,” Meyer said. ”I was disappointed that our energy level wasn’t where it needed to be. We didn’t show any sense of urgency.

”As we expected, they came right after us and wanted to get that split. We just didn’t respond.”

The Tritons, who had a five-day layoff due to inclement weekend weather, will now face the Eagles again at 1 p.m. here on Monday. They will then host Indian Hills (24-10) on Tuesday at 2 p.m.

IOWA CENTRAL 4, KIRKWOOD 2

Kirkwood 000 100 0 — 2 5 0

Iowa Central 121 000 x — 4 5 0

WP–Anderson DeLeon (7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 K). LP–Hunter Lee (6 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 9 K). 2B–ICCC: Spencer Franko; K: Korry Howell. HR–ICCC: Kyle Snuttjer.

KIRKWOOD 14, IOWA CENTRAL 0 (6)

Kirkwood 201 (11)00 — 14 15 0

Iowa Central 000 000 — 0 3 1

WP–Joe Funkhouser (5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K). LP–Austin Suhr (3.33 IP, 13 H, 11 R, 11 ER, 1 BB, 3 K). 2B–K: Toran Shahidi, Cal Clark. HR–K: Tyler Bordner.

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