• Carter Bornemeier, Jackson Fisher pace Bears with two hits apiece
• Errors hurt DMACC in both games
• Fisher gets Bears' first home run of the season in the second game

The DMACC baseball team opened the 2021 baseball season with a doubleheader loss to Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa (NOCT) February 5 at Tonkawa, Okla. A doubleheader set for Feb. 6 was cancelled because of inclement weather.

The Mavericks, ranked third in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II preseason poll, won by scores of 10-3 and 5-2. DMACC was limited to four hits in each game and errors hurt the Bears in both games. They committed four errors in the opener, leading to four unearned runs, and committed five errors in the nightcap, leading to two unearned runs.

Freshman Jackson Fisher of Chariton led DMACC in the opener, collecting a pair of base hits, including a double. Freshmen Jake Thilges of Johnson and freshman Carter Bornemeier of Elmwood, Neb., had one hit apiece, including a double by Bornemeier. Freshman Cadyn Schwabe of Thompson, N.D., Thilges and freshman sophomore Kaleb Harrison of Neola drove in one run apiece for the Bears.

NOCT did all of its scoring early, scoring two runs in the first and four each in the second and third innings. DMACC tallied single runs in the second, third and fourth innings.

Freshman Anthony Potthoff of Van Meter pitched the first two innings for DMACC, allowing four runs on one hit. He struck out one batter and walked two. Freshman Ray Ray Douglas of Sioux City worked a third of an inning and suffered the loss. He allowed two runs on one hit and walked two batters. Freshman Greg Ryun of Victoria, Minn., threw three innings and recorded a pair of strikeouts and freshman Blake Grevengoed of West Des Moines went two-thirds of an inning, allowing four runs on two hits and walking five batters.

Freshman Jacob Draeger of Johnston pitched the first four innings for DMACC, allowing four runs on four hits, as NOCT took the win in the second game. He struck out three and walked three. Freshman Bret Price of Boone went two innings, allowing one hit, striking out two batters and walking one.

NOCT scored single runs in each of the first two innings, added two in the third and one in the fifth to come away with the win in the second game. DMACC tallied single runs in the fourth and sixth innings. Bornemeier had a pair of hits in the loss and Fisher and Thilges added one hit apiece, including a solo home run from Fisher and a double from Thilges.

The DMACC baseball team is idle until Feb. 26, 27 and 28 when the Bears travel to Enid, Okla., to face Northern Oklahoma College-Enid (NOCE) and NOCT. The Bears will play NOCE in a single game on Feb. 26. They will face NOCE in a doubleheader on Feb. 27 and then play NOCT in a doubleheader on Feb. 28.