By: Dana Becker
Messenger Sports Staff
A quick glance at the scoreboard at Rogers Park Wednesday may have caught fans off guard.
That's because the fifth-ranked Iowa Central baseball team put up a number very unfamiliar to the game.
After posting a 12-0 victory in the opener vs. Iowa Lakes in five innings, the Tritons finished off the doubleheader sweep with a 34-7 triumph in seven.
"We took advantage of the windy conditions and really hit the ball well both games," ICCC head coach Eric Stein said. "With the schedule we have coming up, it was good to pick up a couple of wins.
"I thought we played well overall. We just have to keep doing that now moving forward."
Iowa Central (28-4 overall, 6-4 in ICCAC) has now scored double figures in 22 games this season, surpassing 20 runs three times.
An eight-run second was more than enough support for Hunter Frost, who tossed a four-hitter in the opener with six strikeouts and just one walk.
Will Smoot, Harrison Bowman, Jack Mausser and Jackson Tessman all hit home runs, with Smoot and Bowman driving in four. Bowman had two hits and two runs, with Cooper Nicholson and Troy Berg each scoring twice.
"It was great that Hunter finished that one off and allowed us to save our bullpen both for game two and this weekend," Stein said. "He hit his spots and our defense backed him up."
Iowa Central fell behind 2-0 to the Lakers before responding with 11 in the bottom half of the first on its way to a fifth consecutive win. The Tritons are now19-2 at home this year.
"We got a lot of guys in and a lot of guys produced," Stein said. "It's always nice to be able to reward those that work hard with playing time."
Mausser connected on two home runs with Nicholson, Griffin Fenske, Isaiah Scott and Spencer Pederson all going deep once in the nightcap.
Mausser was 3-for-3 with three runs and three RBI with Bowman driving in five. Nicholson, Pederson and Josh Hatano all scored three times as 14 different Triton players recorded at least one hit.
Former Fort Dodge Senior High all-stater Jace Ulrich was 1-for-3 with two runs and an RBI. Dalton Schmidt collected the win, striking out one over three innings.
The run total surpassed the 28 they put up vs. Marshalltown last year, and marked the most since at least the 2016 season.
Next action for the Tritons will be back here this weekend when they host North Iowa Area for a three-game set beginning Saturday. That twinbill begins at 1 p.m. with a single-game on Sunday set for a noon first pitch.
NIACC (12-19, 4-7) claimed a 6-4 win over Ellsworth on Wednesday.