Kirkwood baseball team's season comeback

After scoring four victories in a row last weekend, the baseball team at Kirkwood Community College improved to 19-24 overall. Kirkwood has posted an impressive 11-3 record since April 4.

The Eagles have eight games remaining in the regular season before the first round of the regional tournament in Waterloo on May 10.

All four wins last weekend came against conference opponent Iowa Lakes Community College. The Eagles improved their conference record to 7-9, placing them fourth in the conference.

Kirkwood dropped two games to Iowa Central Community College in a double header at home on April 14. After a one-day delay due to rain, the Eagles notched a victory in extra innings against Iowa Central, 5-3, and lost the second game, 2-6, on April 16.

In the 5-3 victory for Kirkwood, the Eagles fell behind 0-3 after the second inning. A double to left field by freshman Dairo Gonzalez earned him an RBI and got the Eagles on the scoreboard. An error by Iowa Central later in the inning allowed sophomore Rajaceel Martinez to come in for another Kirkwood score, tying the game at 3.

The game moved into overtime, with the score tied at 3. The Eagles scored the final two runs of the game in the bottom of the ninth inning to win by the score 5-3. Sophomore Neil Madsen hit a home run for the Kirkwood victory.

On April 12 Kirkwood defeated Muscatine Community College by 10 runs in both games. The score was 10-0 in the first game and 15-5 in the second.

Gonzalez improved his home run count to 12 for the season, placing him at fourth in the nation for total home runs.

The Eagles play their final home games of the season this weekend in a four game series against Ellsworth Community College. The start time for the doubleheaders is 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Kirkwood plays at ninth-ranked Des Moines Area Community College in its final four games of the regular season on May 5 and 6.