The Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) softball team will advance to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Softball Championship for the fifth consecutive season and the sixth time in the past seven seasons after sweeping a doubleheader from Dawson (Mont.) Community College (DCC) in the NJCAA Region H Softball Tournament May 10 at the DMACC softball diamond.
Sophomores Molly Jacobsen of Adel and Gabby Schnathorst of Carlisle pitched the Bears to 2-0 and 9-0 wins over DCC in the double-elimination tournament. DMACC, the top-ranked team in the NJACC Division II poll, improved to 44-0 with the wins.
Jacobsen allowed one hit and struck out 10 as she improved to 23-0 for the season. She threw 79 pitches, including 65 strikes.
Sophomore Bre Hunter of Boone and freshman Kelsey Hora of Ainsworth led DMACC at the plate. Hunter belted a solo home run and Hora collected a pair of base hits. Freshman Mia Ruther of Burlington also drove in a run for the Bears, who scored runs in the fourth and fifth innings to come away with the win.
Schnathorst improved to 11-0 with the win in the second game. She allowed three hits, struck out seven and walked three. DMACC provided Schnathorst with all the runs she needed with five runs in the second inning. The Bears scored three runs in the fourth and added their final run in the seventh.
Ruther and freshman Avery Guy of Cedar Rapids had three base its apiece in the win and freshman Morgan Nealey of Urbandale had a pair of hits, including a double. Freshman Kaisha Wells of Topeka, Kan., had just one hit, but drove in three DMACC runs. Ruther, Hunter, Nealey, Guy and sophomore Taylor Briley of Creston drove in one run apiece.
The NJCAA Division II Softball Championship will be held May 16 to 19 at Clinton, Miss., and DMACC is expected to be the tournament's top seed. Tournament pairings will be released when the become available.