DMACC softball team wins three of four games in Cowtown Classic

Avery Guy tries to get runner at 2nd.

The Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) softball team won three of four games in the Cowtown Classic February 15 and 16 at Fort Worth, Texas.

 

The Bears, ranked fourth in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Preseason Poll, opened tournament play with an 11-5 win over Hesston College (HC) on Feb. 15. Blinn College (BC) used an 11-run rally in the fifth inning to take a 13-12 decision from the Bears, also on Feb. 15, and DMACC closed out the day with a 10-0 win over Alvin Community College (ACC). On Feb. 16, the Bears defeated Ranger Community College (RCC), 7-2.

 

Freshmen Morgan Lewis of Cedar Rapids and Elly Schuemann of Marion had three hits apiece and sophomore Mia Ruther of Burlington drove in three runs to lead the Bears past HC in their tournament opener. DMACC trailed 3-1 coming to bat in the bottom of the third and scored five runs to take the lead. After HC tied the game with a run in the fourth and two in the fifth, the Bears put the game away with a six-run rally in the bottom of the sixth.

 

Freshman Ellie Dixon of Iowa City had a pair of hits in the win, including a double, and freshman Josie Swafford of Wellston, Okla., had a double and drove in two runs.

 

Sophomore Peyton Parker of La Porte City pitched the first four and a third innings for DMACC and got the win. She allowed four runs on eight hits, struck out one and walked one. Freshman Dana Dunbar of Chadron, Neb., pitched two and two-thirds innings, allowing one run on three hits. She struck out three and walked one.

 

BC trailed DMACC 9-2 coming to bat in the top of the fifth and scored 11 runs to hand the Bears their first defeat of the season. DMACC made it a 13-12 game with three runs in the bottom of the fifth, but could not score in the final two innings.

 

Ruther again paced the Bears at the plate with three hits, including a triple, and three RBIs. Lewis, sophomore Avery Guy of Cedar Rapids, freshman Maddie Karr of Center Point and freshman Bri Netty of Waterloo had two hits apiece, including a pair of doubles by Netty, and Karr and Netty drove in two runs apiece.

 

Swafford pitched the first four innings for DMACC, allowing three runs on four hits. She struck out three and walked two. Freshman Ally Anderson of Atlantic was not credited with any innings pitched, allowing six runs on five hits and one base on balls. Parker suffered the loss, allowing four runs on five hits in two-thirds of an inning and Dunbar threw two and a third innings, striking out one batter.

 

Ruther had two hits and Swafford and Anderson drove in three runs apiece to lead DMACC past ACC. Guy also drove in a pair of runs for the Bears, who put the game away in five innings after scoring six runs in the first and four runs in the fourth.

 

Anderson went the distance to get the win. She scattered three hits and walked two batters.

 

Sophomore Kaisha Wells of Topeka, Kan., had two hits, including a home run, and drove in three runs in DMACC's win over RCC. The Bears took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the second and padded their advantage with three more runs in the bottom of the fourth. They closed out the win with a run in the bottom of the sixth.

 

Swafford threw all seven innings to get the win. She allowed two runs on six hits, struck out eight and walked one.

 

The DMACC softball team is idle until March 2 when the Bears face Coffeyville Community College (CCC) in a doubleheader at Coffeyville, Kan. DMACC will then play a doubleheader against Allen County Community College (ACCC), March 3 at Iola, Kan.