5/11/08 Iowa Central beats SCC on walk-off homer
Hands SCC first Regional loss
In a wild, wind-blown game, Iowa Central delivered the final blow, hitting a walk-off homerun to win a marathon Regional match-up, 24-22, against the Blackhawks of Southeastern Community College.
SCC took the initial 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning as Luis Rodriguez delivered and RBI double and later scored on a Chris Vergne single. But from the bottom of that inning on, SCC was forced to battle back time and time again.
Southeastern fought back from a 9-3 deficit after two innings, a 14-9 deficit after four, and a 21-14 deficit after seven complete innings only to miraculously take a 22-21 lead in the top of the ninth inning.
Battling blustering winds blowing straight out all game, the Blackhawks found themselves down a field goal, trailing the Tritons, 21-18, entering the 9th inning. Cristobal Rodriguez, the team's sparkplug for most of the season, began that inning by singling. Masashi Kinjo and L. Rodriguez followed with consecutive walks before Chris Vergne's sacrifice fly to deep center scored C. Rodriguez from third. Trailing by three runs, freshman catcher Angel Rosa stepped to the plate with two runners aboard. And the freshman delivered. His high fly ball into left center field was hit high and hard enough to sail well over the fence and pull SCC (35-22) in front of ICCC 22-21.
That lead, however, was short lived.
Iowa Central put a runner aboard with one out. Marc Mericle then hit a ground ball towards the hole on the left side. Shortstop L. Rodriguez made a nice play to get to the ball and throw to C. Rodriguez at second base for what looked to be a routine out, but baserunner Alex Conlon was called safe at second base on the attempted force play. ICCC's next batter struck out looking. But, with two on and two out, Ryan Durant hit a 1-2 Luis Castrodad pitch just over the center field fence to give his team the walk-off victory.
SCC Box Score
| AB | R | H | RBI | |
| Melvin Morales 2b | 7 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Daniel Rodriguez rf | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cristobal Rodriguez 2b | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| Masashi Kinjo lf | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Luis Rodriguez ss | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Chris Vergne 1b / cf | 6 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Angel Rosa c | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
| Luis Castrodad dh | 6 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Elmer Ortiz 3b | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Marco Padron cf | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Michael Rios cf | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ben Stanbury 1b | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Score by Innings | R H E | |
| Southeastern............ | 213 350 044 | 22 28 2 |
| Iowa Central............. | 363 251 103 | 24 22 1 |
E -- Ortiz 2. 2B -- Morales, C. Rodriguez, Kinjo, L. Rodriguez, Vergne, Castrodad 2. HR -- L. Rodriguez, Vergne, Rosa 2, Castrodad. HBP -- Rosa, Padron, Stanbury. SF -- Vergne. CS -- C. Rodriguez.
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| Juan Collado | 1 2/3 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| Tyler Anderson | 2 1/3 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| Marcus Ledbetter | 3 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Jose Marin | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Luis Castrodad (L, 0-4) | 2/3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
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5/10/08 SCC defeats NIACC 9-7 in Game 1 of Regional
In Game 1 of the ICCAC Regional Playoffs, the Southeastern Community College Blackhawks defeated the NIACC Trojans 9-7.
Esteban Cancel earned the victory by pitching 7 1/3 innings, allowing five runs, three earned, for the Blackhawks. Cancel (9-2) struck out six batters while walking only two.
The Blackhawks jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first when Luis Rodriguez singled in two following a Cristobal Rodriguez hit by pitch and a Masashi Kinjo walk.
The 'Hawks scored four more times in the top of the 5th via one hit, three walks and two hit batsmen to open a 6-1 lead, but NIACC made a run late. NIACC, who is the host team for the six-team Regional, put up six total runs in the 7th and 8th innings off of Cancel and reliever Tyler Anderson. SCC (35-21) was able to put up a three-spot in the 8th capped by a two-run Angel Rosa homerun.
The win for the Blackhawks was their 35th of the season, matching the second-highest win total in school history, a mark set by last year's club. The school record for victories is 38 set by the 1998 team.
SCC Box Score
| AB | R | H | RBI | |
| Melvin Morales | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Cristobal Rodriguez | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Masashi Kinjo | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Luis Rodriguez | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Chris Vergne | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Angel Rosa | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Luis Castrodad | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Elmer Ortiz | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Marco Padron | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Danny Rodriguez | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
| Esteban Cancel (W, 9-2) | 7 1/3 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| Tyler Anderson | 2/3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Luis Castrodad (S, 13) | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
For more information and other scores around the ICCAC
playoffs, please visit the conference's website at
www.iccac.org.
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5/8/08 Kinjo, Rosa named First Team All Region
Two others named to Second Team, two Honorable Mention, Rodriguez named Defensive Player of the Year
Sophomore left fielder Masashi Kinjo and freshman catcher Angel Rosa were both named to the ICCAC All-Region team, honors voted on by the conference's head coaches.
Kinjo, a two-time All Region selection, finished the regular season fourth in the conference with a .425 batting average. Kinjo also lead the conference with a .530 on base percentage. Kinjo was the team leader in several other categories, including hits with 68, doubles with 14 and RBI with 45.
Rosa lead the team and was sixth in the conference with 10 regular season homeruns. Rosa was also second in the league with 16 hit by pitches. He hit .319 overall through various injuries, but still knocked in 39 runs for the 'Hawks.
Sophomore shortstop Cristobal Rodriguez and sophomore starting pitcher Esteban Cancel were both named Second Team All Region. Rodriguez, known mostly as a defensive shortstop, was named Defensive Player of the Year in the ICCAC for his stellar play at shortstop. Rodriguez also made tremendous strides at the plate from a year ago as he finished with a .389 regular season batting average, well over 100 points better than his freshman year. Cancel lead the conference with 8 regular season victories while also setting the SCC career wins record.
Two other Blackhawks, first baseman Chris Vergne and closer Luis Castrodad, were named All Conference Honorable Mention. Vergne finished seventh in the conference with a .407 regular season batting average while Castrodad lead the league with 12 saves and was also a big contributor at the plate, ending the regular season with a .319 batting average with 40 RBI as the team's DH and right fielder.
| AB | R | H | RBI | |
| Melvin Morales | 7 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Danny Rodriguez | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cristobal Rodriguez | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| Masashi Kinjo | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Luis Rodriguez | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Chris Vergne | 6 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Angel Rosa | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
| Luis Castrodad | 6 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Elmer Ortiz | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Marco Padron | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Michael Rios | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ben Stanbury | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
E -- Ortiz, 2. 2B -- Morales, C. Rodriguez, Kinjo, L. Rodriguez, Vergne, Castrodad 2. HR -- L. Rodriguez, Vergne, Rosa 2, Castrodad. HBP -- Rosa, Padron, Stanbury. SF -- Vergne. CS -- C. Rodriguez.
Score by Innings R - H - E
| SCC |
213 350 044 |
22 28 2 |
| ICCC | 363 251 103 | 24 22 1 |