Allen Community College kept the hometown fans on the edges of their collective seats over the weekend.
The Red Devils — spearheaded by the bat of freshman Anthony Talpa — split a four-game series with visiting Ellsworth Saturday and Sunday, with three of the four decided by two runs or fewer.
Allen started with a hard-fought 9-7 loss on Saturday, but rallied for an 8-7 victory in the finale.
Sunday’s fun started with a five-run fifth inning as Allen took home a 6-2 victory in the opener. But Ellsworth scored three in the top of the sixth to erase a 2-0 ACC lead to win, 3-2.
Saturday
Ellsworth 9, Allen 7
The Panthers took advantage promptly, scoring five runs in the top of the first, including a grand slam from Brandon Weigel.
The Red Devils got a run back in the bottom of the inning on Talpa’s RBI double.
Talpa then made things really interesting with a three-run blast in the bottom of the third to pull Allen to within 5-4. Jake Galloway knotted things with a two-out double before Carson Shepherd pushed ACC into the lead, 6-5, two pitches later with an RBI double of his own. He came around to score on a wild pitch, and suddenly Allen led by two.
But Ellsworth rallied with two outs in the top of the fourth, scoring twice to tie the game, and then scoring two more with two outs in the top of the fifth to lead, 9-7.
Allen put two runners on base in both the fifth and sixth innings, but came up empty both times.
Talpa led Allen at the plate with two doubles and a home run, driving in four. Shepherd and Galloway also doubled. Mees Robberse singled twice. Cale Clark, Garrett Rush and Martin also had singles.
Saul Bolivar, Elias Muller, Zachary Johnston, Manuel Toro and Brody Gleason took the mound for ACC. They struck out 10 over seven innings, allowing eight hits.
Allen 8, Ellsworth 7
Talpa continued his torrid hitting in the second game, with a double and home run, with three RBIs. His two-run double in the third pushed ACC ahead, 3-0, before Collin Godfrey chased him home with a single.
