Reivers Stung In Opening Round Loss

GRAND JUNCTION, Co. - 3rd-Seeded Iowa Western Baseball fell to the 8-seed Florance-Darlington Technical College 10-4 on Saturday night from Sam Suplizio Field at the 2024 Alpine Bank Junior College World Series.

The Reivers (54-9) gave up 6 runs on 5 hits in the opening frame to the Stingers as starting pitcher Luke Broderick walked the first batter of the game, then Ethan Plyer tripled followed by a 2-run home run from Rom Kellis to make it 3-0. A double and an RBI single made it 4-0 with no outs. Florance-Darlington (52-10) would plate two more in the inning before the third out was made.

Iowa Western would scratch across a run in the bottom of the 2nd inning after Josh Wakefield singled then advanced to second base on a passed ball.  Easton Mains sent him home with a base hit to cut into the deficit. The Stingers would add a pair of runs in both the 3rd and 4th innings to take a 9 run lead into the 5th inning.  

The Reivers would keep battling back, scoring a run in the 5th, 6th, and 7th innings to keep the hopes of a comeback alive.  Brynner Waiolama would come in to pitch in the 4th inning and held Florance-Darlington scoreless for three and a third innings, giving up just one hit while striking out 5 batters to keep the team in the game.  Mains would finish the game 2-4 with an RBI and a stolen base. Jaxon Sorenson had the only extra base hit of the day for IW, a lead-off double in the 6th inning, eventually scoring on a sacrifice fly by Reese Harmon.

With the loss, Iowa Western moves into the losers bracket and will take on the No. 2 seed Northwest Florida State who lost in an extra-inning thriller earlier in the day, 7-6 to Southern Nevada.

The Reivers last faced NWF in 2015 in a 10-0 loss to the eventual JUCO World Series Champions in 6 innings.  IWCC will also face former Pitching Coach Brad Powell who is now in his 3rd year as the Pitching Coach for the Raiders.