IOWA FALLS — The St. Edmond baseball team had to settle for a split with Iowa Falls-Alden here Monday night in North Central Conference action.

After taking game one, 7-3, the Gaels fell in the nightcap, 18-11.

In the opener, Blake Bartlett connected on a home run, finishing the game 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Kinnick Henning had a triple, scored twice and drove in a run, as Julian Blanco had a double and an RBI.

Ethan Swisher added two steals and a run scored as the Gaels (9-7 overall, 4-6 in league) plated a run in the first, three in the third and single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

That was more than enough support for Jack McElroy, as the senior went six-plus, striking out five while allowing just five hits and no earned runs. Jacob Nieland got the final out on the mound.

“We had some big moments and big swings from guys that got us up and going,” SEHS head coach Jordan Miller said. “We had a lot of really good approaches and Jack was pounding the zone and competing. That put us in every position to win that first game.

“In the second, we had to go to some guys in tough situations. With our pitching staff down a guy and two more games this week, we had to think about all of that. Ultimately, we have to do a better job as a team and coaching staff of making that last out.”

Bartlett pitched four innings in the nightcap, striking out eight while allowing just three hits. He also hit his second homer of the day, giving him four on the season.

Nick Clark was the last St. Edmond player to hit four homers in a season, doing so in 2010.

Bartlett finished 2-for-2 with a double, three RBI, three runs scored, two walks and was hit by a pitch. Blanco added a homer, driving in three, as Grant Galles scored twice with an RBI-double and Griffin Laufersweiler had two runs.

Garrett Royster pitched a perfect inning, striking out two.

“Garrett did a nice job of coming in,” Miller said. “Offensively, if we score 11 runs, we should be in or win every game; it just didn’t happen (Monday night) because we gave them too any extra outs.”

St. Edmond returns home to host West Bend-Mallard on Tuesday before heading to Eagle Grove Thursday.