- DMACC wins opener on March 20, 11-8, and loses next three games
- SECC scores in double figures in its three wins against the Bears
- DMACC open ICCAC season with 1-3 record
The DMACC baseball team began play in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) with a four-game series against Southeastern Community College (SECC) March 20 and 21 at the DMACC baseball diamond and lost three of the four games.
The Bears took the opener on March 20, 11-8, and lost the second game, 11-1. SECC was victorious on both games on March 21, 12-5 and 11-2, as DMACC fell to 5-11 for the season and 1-3 in the ICCAC.
Freshman Jackson Fisher of Chariton had three hits, including a double and a triple, and drove in two runs in DMACC's win in the opener on March 20. The Bears took an 8-2 lead with eight runs in the bottom of the second and scored single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings for an 11-4 lead. SECC made it respectable with four runs in the top of the seventh.
Freshmen Cadyn Schwabe of Thompson, N.D., Jake Thilges of Johnston and Kyle Westhoff of West Des Moines, had two hits apiece for DMACC, including a double by Thilges, and Fisher drove in a pair of runs.
Freshman Jacob Draeger of Johnston pitched the first five innings and improved to 1-0 with the win. He allowed four runs on four hits, struck out four and walked two. Freshman Kaleb Krier of Altoona went an inning and a third, allowing one run on two hits. He struck out four and walked one. Freshman Jacob Norris of North Liberty allowed three runs on four hits, struck out one and walked one in a third of an inning and freshman Blake Grevengoed of Des Moines earned his first save of the season in a third of an inning. He struck out the only batter he faced.
DMACC was limited to three hits in losing the second game as SECC scored in every inning to come away with the win in six innings. Schwabe and freshmen Kaleb Harrison of Neola and Nolan White of Beatrice, Neb., accounted for DMACC's three hits with Harrison getting a double. Freshman Ben Nippolt of St. Paul, Minn., drove in DMACC's lone run in the second inning.
Freshman Bret Price of Boone fell to 0-2 with the loss. He pitched three and a third innings, allowing eight runs on eight hits with one strikeout. Freshman Josh Ylonen of Ames pitched two-thirds of an inning, allowing one run and walking one batter and freshman Jarrett Novak of Gretna, Neb., allowed two hits and struck out one batter in an inning on the mound. Freshman Wil Casel of Ankeny also pitched one inning, allowing one run on one hit with one strikeout and one walk.
SECC used four-run rallies in the fourth and seventh innings to take the opener on March 21. DMACC scored twice in the second, once in the third and twice in the fourth to trail 7-5 but got no closer.
Schwabe paced DMACC's six-hit attack with a pair of singles and Fisher and freshman Tre Mungin of Omaha, Neb., each homered. Mungin drove in two runs and Harrison, Fisher and Nippolt had one RBI apiece.
Sophomore Hayden Thompsen of Maple Grove, Minn., started on the mound for DMACC and fell to 1-1 with the loss. He allowed eight runs on five hits, struck out two and walked two. Freshman Cade Van Ness of Glenwood went an inning and two thirds, allowing one hit, striking out three and walking two and freshman Greg Ryun of Victoria, Minn., allowed four runs on two hits in one inning. He struck out two and walked two.
DMACC scored twice in the bottom of the sixth in its loss in the second game. SECC took a 1-0 lead in the third, led 3-0 after four innings and 6-2 after six innings.
Freshman Carter Bornemeier of Elmwood, Neb., paced the Bears with two hits, including a double, and Harrison drove in both DMACC runs.
Freshman Nick Crandell of Johnston pitched the first five innings and fell to 0-2 with the loss. He allowed six runs on seven hits, struck out four and walked one. Freshman Anthony Potthoff of Van Meter went an inning and a third, allowing five runs on two hits with two strikeouts and three walks and Grevengoed pitched two thirds of an inning, giving up one hit and striking out two batters.
The DMACC baseball team will play Iowa Lakes Community College (ILCC) in a doubleheader March 24 at Estherville. ILCC is 2-12 for the season.
