There was a hint of déjà vu at the ballpark as the Tigers lost 5-3 and 20-10 to the Hawks (17-13) — one game was a defensive struggle that was close until the final out, and one a high-scoring affair that got away from MCC (8-18) early on.

Head coach Anthony Everman said there were promising signs, but similar mistakes as the ones made Friday.

“Offensively, you’re kind of seeing in these game fours that some guys pitching on both teams don’t pitch all the time,” Everman said. “Sometimes it goes good, sometimes it goes bad. I like the way that our kids play the game and constantly try to compete and keep coming.”

In game one, the pitchers on both sides were in control of proceedings. MCC starter Edwin De Los Santos Moreno gave up three runs in the first four innings, but he was largely in his element and kept the Hawks from getting out of sight. Moreno went six innings and gave up three earned runs, six hits and five walks, but struck out eight batters as well. He was given a no-decision after the Tigers came back to tie the game with two runs in the fifth on a homer from Joel Suraganan and a solo home run from Bryan Morales in the bottom of the sixth. Those were MCC’s only two hits of the game.

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING - MCC second baseman Weston Durman makes the throw to first base during Saturday’s baseball doubleheader against Northeast at Shawn Williams Field.

Coming into the seventh, relief pitcher Brock Hatlan gave up two earned runs and two hits in the seventh inning. The Tigers couldn’t fight back in the seventh and the game went Northeast’s way.

But Everman was pleased with how both pitchers performed.

“Edwin got behind some, but he made some big pitches to get out of some trouble,” Everman said. “I think Brock did a good job of getting ahead of batters and putting the pressure on them a little bit.”

Game two could not have been more different. In the bottom of the first inning, the Tigers put up four runs — with Moreno Jr. scoring on an error, Gage Juhlin hitting a triple to drive in Ronald Nowak and Morales and Juhlin scoring on a wild pitch. The Tigers had momentum and were in the lead for the first time all day.

The second inning was not kind to the Tigers, nor was the third inning. Northeast scored seven runs in each inning, turning a 4-0 deficit into a 14-5 lead. Tom Leathem took the loss and gave up 14 runs, six earned. He also allowed 12 hits and struck out one batter.

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING

In 1 2/3 innings, Mondre Lagow gave up six runs (all earned) and 10 hits.

After scoring three runs apiece in the fourth and fifth innings, Northeast did not score the rest of the game. But it didn’t matter — despite Marshalltown scoring four runs in the fifth and Brock Stewart driving in two runs with a single, the Tigers never got back within 10 runs of the Hawks. Stewart and Juhlin tied for the most RBIs of the day for MCC along with Suraganan in game one.

A frustrating weekend for the Tigers, But Everman tried to keep it in perspective given the team’s youth.

“There’s times where we start eight freshman and have freshmen on the mound, that’s not an excuse but it’s reality,” Everman said.

MCC plays Wednesday at home against DMACC at 1 and 4 p.m.

Saturday

At Marshalltown

Game One

Northeast CC 5, MCC 3

Northeast 002 100 2 — 5 8 0

MCC 000 021 0 — 3 2 1

Nate Zyzda, Josh Conn (5), Alex Potter (5) and Samuel Manwarren; Edwin De Los Santos Morenos, Brock Hatlan (7) and Gage Juhlin. W–Potter (3-0). L–Hatlan (2-1). 2B–NE: Parker Dorrance. 3B–NE: Tyler Monroe. HR–MCC: Bryan Morales, Joel Suraganan.

Game Two

Northeast CC 20, MCC 10

Northeast 077 330 0 — 20 23 2

MCC 410 400 1 — 10 9 4

Christian Carew, Dylan Rodgers (4), Brandon Nicks (6), Matt Dreher (7) and Nick Carson, Jacob Roberts; Tom Leatham, Mondre Lagow (4), Riley McKinnon (5), Jimmy Kurka (7) and Juhlin, Spencer Ralston. W–Carew (2-2). L–Leatham (0-3). 2B–NE: Dorrance, Anthony Silvera Jr. 3B–NE: Maxim Fullerton; MCC: Juhlin. HR–NE: Cooper Whitt, Zane Zielinski.