• Losses drop DMACC to 10-14 overall and 6-6 in the ICCAC
• Freshman Ben Nippolt of St. Paul, Minn., had two hits and three RBIs for the Bears in the opener
• Freshman Kyle Westhoff of West Des Moines homers and drives in four runs to lead Bears in second game

The DMACC baseball team slipped to 10-14 overall and 6-6 in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) after losing a doubleheader to Marshalltown Community College (MCC) March 31 at the DMACC baseball diamond.

The Tigers used seventh- and ninth-inning rallies to win both contests. They trailed DMACC 7-6 after six innings in the opener and scored four runs in the top of the seventh to come away with the win. MCC trailed 6-5 after eight innings in the nightcap and scored twice in the top of the ninth to get the win.

Freshmen Ben Nippolt of St. Paul, Minn., Cadyn Schwabe of Thompson, N.D., and Kyle Westhoff of West Des Moines had two hits apiece, including doubles by Nippolt and Westhoff, to pace DMACC in the opener. Nippolt came away with three RBIs and Schwabe, Westhoff and freshmen Kaleb Harrison of Neola and Jake Thilges of Johnston drove in one run apiece.

DMACC led 2-0 after the first inning and 3-0 after the second inning. MCC scored once in the third and five times in the fourth for a 6-3 lead but DMACC answered with four runs in the bottom of the fourth for a 7-6 advantage.

Freshman Kaleb Krier of Altoona pitched the first three and a third innings for DMACC, allowing six runs, on seven hits. He struck out one and walked two. Four of the runs Krier allowed were unearned. Freshman Bret Price of Boone went two and a third innings, allowing two hits, striking out two and walking one and freshman Ben Dixon of Sioux City allowed two hits, struck out two and walked one in an inning on the mound. Freshman Cade Van Ness of Glenwood also went one inning and suffered the loss, evening his record at 1-1. He allowed four runs on three hits and walked one batter.

Westhoff hit a home run and drove in four runs for DMACC in the second game. The Bears took a 1-0 lead in the first and scored four runs in the third to open up a 6-0 lead.  MCC battled back with three runs in the sixth and two in the seventh to trail 6-5 before rallying in the top of the ninth.

Westhoff had three hits in the game and Schwabe, Nippolt and freshman Jackson Fisher of Chariton had two singles apiece.

Freshman Jarrett Novak of Gretna, Neb., got the start for DMACC and went five and a third innings, allowing two runs on two hits. He struck out six and walked six. Freshman Blake Grevengoed of West Des Moines went an inning and a third, giving up three runs on two hits with one strikeout and four walks. Freshman Josh Ylonen of Ames faced two batters, walking both, and freshman Wil Casel of Ankeny recorded two strikeouts and one walk in an inning and a third. Freshman Greg Ryun of Victoria, Minn., pitched one inning and fell to 1-1 with the loss. He allowed two runs on two hits and walked one batter.

The DMACC baseball team will play doubleheaders against Kirkwood Community College (KCC) April 2 and 3 at Cedar Rapids. KCC is 10-13 overall and 6-6 in the ICCAC.