The Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) baseball team stretched its winning streak to nine consecutive games with a 12-4 decision against Metropolitan Community College-Longview (MCCL) March 15 at Lee's Summit, Mo.
Freshman Denver Blinn of West Fargo, N.D., paced the Bears to the win with four hits, including a double and a home run, and four runs batted in.
DMACC trailed 1-0 after the first inning, but took the lead for good with three runs in the top of the third. The Bears added to their advantage with three more runs in the top of the fifth to go ahead 6-1. MCCL made it a 6-2 game with a run in the bottom of the fifth before DMACC all but closed out the win with four runs in the top of the sixth. MCCL got to within 10-5 with three runs in the bottom of the sixth before DMACC closed out the scoring with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh.
Freshman Calen Schwabe of Thompson, N.D., also had three hits for the Bears, including a double, and sophomore Matt Krambeck of Omaha, Neb., and freshman Tavian Gillette of Rock Island, Ill., drove in two runs apiece.
Freshman Spencer Hanson of West Des Moines pitched five and two-thirds innings for DMACC and improved to 3-0 for the season with the win. He allowed five runs on seven hits and struck out seven batters. Just one of the five runs surrendered by Hanson was earned. Freshman Nate Holliday of Muscatine pitched three and a third innings, allowing three hits and striking out three batters.
Games against the Midland University junior varsity scheduled for March 18 were cancelled because of inclement weather.
The DMACC baseball team will put its nine-game winning streak on the line March 21 when the Bears face Iowa Western Community College (IWCC) at Council Bluffs. The Reivers are 16-4 and are ranked 10th in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I poll. DMACC is unranked in NJCAA Division II.