HAWKS START WEEKEND WITH TWO OUTSTANDING VICTORIES

NORFOLK, Neb. – The Northeast Community College baseball team kicked off their first conference series at home Friday in a doubleheader with Marshalltown Community College. The Hawks topped the Tigers in Game 1 by a final score of 6-5 and took down Marshalltown again by a margin of 16-5 in Game 2.

Northeast (19-6, 3-1 ICCAC) gave up three runs in the top of the first inning to the Tigers but rallied back to score three runs of their own in their half of the first frame. Nate Zyzda (Sioux City, Iowa) bounced back after a rocky first inning to toss five scoreless frames in a row and was cruising until two runs came across for the Tigers in the top of the seventh inning. Gabe Rodriguez (Thornton, Colo.) got the Hawks out of a jam and set the scene for Rusty Wortman (Gretna, Neb.) to come to the plate with the score evened in the bottom of the seventh inning. Wortman blasted the first pitch he saw out of the park to give Northeast a walk-off victory.

Game 2 was smoother sailing for the Hawks as they scored in every inning and ended the contest scheduled for nine innings in just seven frames. Kaden Young (Columbus, Neb.) had three RBIs to add to his one in Game 1 while Jackson Horn (Papillion, Neb.) had both a triple and a double in the showdown.

STAT SHEET GAME 1:

Rusty Wortman (Gretna, Neb.): 2-4, HR, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R

Matt Kitzman (Osseo, Minn.): 1-2, RBI, R, BB

Nate Zyzda (Sioux City, Iowa): 6 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 7 K

STAT SHEET GAME 2:

Jackson Horn (Papillion, Neb.) 2-3, 3B, 4 RBI, 2 R, BB

Kaden Young (Columbus, Neb.): 3-3, 3 RBI, 2 R, BB

Taylor Gill (Orem, Utah): 3-5, 3B, 2B, RBI, R

HEAR FROM THE HAWKS COACH:

Head baseball coach Marcus Clapp on the ending to Game 1:

"I saw one pitch and I saw it go over the fence!" Clapp said. "It was nice. I thought Gabe (Rodriguez) came in and did a nice job to hold them to give us that opportunity. Rusty coming up and one pitch and it was over made it real simple."

Clapp on his squad winning three out of four conference games to start the ICCAC slate:

"I've said it all year, and I sound like a broken record, but if we worry about us and stick with our approach we can do things," Clapp said. "Putting up 12 against DMACC in Game 2 and putting up 16 today. When we stay within and don't get big then we are fine. I don't know if we have really been beaten this year, to be honest. I think sometimes we beat ourselves. If we control ourselves, I think we are alright."

UP NEXT:

The Hawks will wrap up their series with Marshalltown Community College in one game starting at 1 p.m. tomorrow at Norfolk Veterans Memorial Baseball Field in Norfolk.

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