The DMACC baseball team slipped to 4-7 for the season with five losses in six games against Northern Oklahoma College-Enid (NOCE) and Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa (NOCT) Feb. 25 to 28 in Enid and Tonkawa, Okla.

The series began with a 9-7 loss to NOCE on Feb. 25. DMACC took a single game on Feb. 26, 12-10, and NOCE swept both games on Feb. 27, 10-7 and 12-0. DMACC and NOCT played a doubleheader Feb. 28 at Tonkawa, Okla., with NOCT winning both, 9-8 and 4-0.

Freshman Jake Thilges of Johnston, had three hits, including a pair of triples, and drove in two runs in DMACC's 9-7 loss to NOCE on Feb. 25. The Bears trailed 4-1 after two innings but tied the game with three runs in the top of the third. NOCE answered with four runs in the bottom of the fifth and another run in the bottom of the seventh. DMACC closed out the scoring with three runs in the top of the eighth.

Freshman Carter Bornemeier of Elmwood, Neb., sophomore Kaleb Harrison of Neola, freshman Ben Nippolt of St. Paul, Minn., freshman Sam Nicolino of Des Moines and freshman Tre Mungin of Omaha, Neb., drove in one run apiece for the Bears.

Freshman Jarrett Novak of Gretna, Neb., started on the mound for DMACC and went four and two-thirds innings. He allowed eight runs on five hits, struck out two and walked two. Freshman Josh Ylonen of Ames went an inning and two-thirds, allowing one run on three hits. He struck out one and walked two. Freshman Blake Grevengoed of West Des Moines worked an inning and two-thirds, striking out one batter and walking one.

Freshman Jackson Fisher of Chariton drove in three runs and Bornemeier, Harrison and Thilges had two RBIs apiece in DMACC's 12-10 win on Feb. 26. DMACC led 5-2 after four innings but trailed 6-5 after seven innings. The Bears went ahead 11-6 with six runs in the top of the eighth and scored another run in the top of the ninth. NECO made it close with a run in the bottom of the eighth and three in the bottom of the ninth.

Thilges led DMACC with four hits, including a double, and Bornemeier had three hits, including a double. Freshman Bennett Cutsforth of Dubuque had a triple for the Bears.

Freshman Jacob Draeger of Johnston pitched the first four and two-thirds innings for DMACC, allowing three runs on six hits. He struck out seven and walked five. Grevengoed went an inning and a third, allowing one run on one hit with one strikeout and three walks and freshman Cole Kaufman of Waukee picked up the win in one inning on the mound. He allowed two runs on two hits. Freshman Cade Van Ness of Glenwood pitched an inning and two-thirds, giving up four runs on four hits. He had one strikeout and two walks. Freshman Will Casel of Ankeny gave up a pair of walks and was not credited with any innings pitched and freshman Anthony Potthoff of Van Meter recorded one strikeout in a third of an inning, earning the save.

Thilges and freshman Brett Berg of West Des Moines had two hits apiece and freshman Nick Ripa of Papillion, Neb., drove in two runs in DMACC's 10-7 loss in the opener on Feb. 27.

DMACC took a 3-0 lead in the first inning and scored four runs in the top of the fourth to take a 7-6 lead but NOCE got the win with a run in the bottom of the fourth, two in the bottom of the fifth and another in the bottom of the sixth. Nippolt, Thilges and freshman Jayden Singleton of Des Moines hit doubles for DMACC and each drove in one run.

Freshman Bret Price of Boone pitched the first two and a third innings, allowing six runs on six hits. He struck out two and walked three. Potthoff pitched three and two-thirds innings, allowing four runs on four hits. He struck out seven and walked three.

Nicolino and Mungin had two hits apiece, including a double by Nicolino, in DMACC's 12-0 loss in the second game. Freshman Kaleb Krier of Altoona pitched three innings, allowing seven runs on seven hits with two strikeouts. Freshman Skout Lave of Ozark, Mo., threw one inning, allowing five runs on two hits. He struck out two and walked four.

NOCT scored a run in the bottom of the eighth to come away with an 8-7 decision in the opener on Feb. 28. The game was tied 6-6 after three innings with DMACC scoring two runs in the first and four in the third. The game went into extra innings tied at 8-8 after both teams scored one run in each of the fourth and fifth innings.

Fisher led DMACC with two hits, including a double and a triple, and drove in two runs. Freshman Cadyn Schwabe of Thompson, N.D., Cutsforth and freshman Nolan Kelliher of Middleton, Wis., drove in one run apiece.

Sophomore Hayden Thompson of Maple Grove, Minn., pitched four innings, allowing eight runs on 11 hits with six strikeouts and three walks. Freshman Jacob Norris of North Liberty threw three and a third innings, allowing one run on three hits. He struck out two and walked three.

Novak recorded DMACC's only hit in a 4-0 loss in the second game on Feb. 28. Freshman Nick Crandell of Johnston pitched the first four innings, allowing two runs on three hits. He struck out five and walked one. Ylonen went two innings, allowing two runs on one hit. He struck out three and walked three.