Sophomore Matt Krambeck of Omaha, Neb., slammed a pair of home runs and drove in four runs and freshmen Austin Murr of Denmark Township, Minn., and Evan Salmon of Urbandale each homered to lead the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) baseball team to a 12-8 win over Ellsworth Community College (ECC) in the first game of a doubleheader April 23 at Iowa Falls.
ECC bounced back to take the nightcap, 13-3, dropping the Bears to 17-21 overall and 6-12 in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC).
DMACC overcame a 7-3 deficit with five runs in the top of the fourth and four in the top of the seventh to come away with the win in the opener. Krambeck and Salmon paced DMACC's 13-hit attack with three hits apiece and Murr had two hits and three RBIs. Freshmen Tavien Gillette of Rock Island, Ill., and Robbie McCargar of West Des Moines also drove in runs for the Bears.
Sophomore Alec Holcomb of Owatonna, Minn., pitched the first three innings for DMACC, allowing seven runs on eight hits. He struck out two and walked one. Freshman Henry Ristvedt of Savage, Minn., pitched three innings and got the win, his first decision of the season. He allowed one run on one hit, struck out one and walked two. Freshman Jakob Richardson of Cave Creek, Ariz., pitched one inning, recording one walk and one strikeout.
McCargar and sophomore Jeremy Lovera of Allentown, Penn., had two hits apiece, including a home run from McCargar and a triple by Lovera, and each drove in one run in DMACC's loss in the second game. Freshman Denver Blinn of West Fargo, N.D., also drove in a run for the Bears.
ECC led 3-2 after two innings and used a five-run rally in the third and a four-run rally in the fifth to come away with the win. The game was called because of the mercy rule after ECC scored a run in the bottom of the sixth.
Sophomore John Werner of Burlington pitched four and a third innings for DMACC and suffered his fourth loss of the season against two victories. He allowed 10 runs on 11 hits struck out four and walked three. Sophomore Luke Longmuir of Cottage Grove, Minn., pitched an inning and a third, allowing three runs on three hits. He struck out one batter and walked two.
The DMACC baseball team will face Dakota County Technical College (DCTC) in a doubleheader April 25 at the DMACC baseball diamond. The first game begins at 2 p.m.