The Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) softball team split a doubleheader with Kirkwood Community College (KCC) April 13 at the DMACC softball diamond and swept a doubleheader against Ellsworth Community College (ECC) April 14 at Iowa Falls to improve to 30-5 for the season.
The Bears, ranked fourth in the most recent Division II poll from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), pushed their winning streak to 15 games with a 2-1 win against sixth-ranked KCC in the opener, and then saw that streak end with KCC's 8-3 win in the second game. DMACC defeated ECC by scores of 7-0 and 13-1.
By winning three of four games, the Bears stay atop the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) at 13-1.
Sophomores Mia Ruther of Burlington and Kaisha Wells of Topeka, Kan., each homered to give the Bears their win against KCC in the opener. Wells gave DMACC a 1-0 lead with her homer in the second inning and Ruther made it a 2-0 game by homering in the third. KCC tallied its lone run in the top of the sixth.
Freshmen Ally Pickering of Winterset, Elly Schuemann of Marion and sophomore Jayci Vos of Monroe also had hits for DMACC.
Freshman Josie Swafford of Wellston, Okla., allowed one run on three hits, struck out 12 and walked two to come away with the win.
Ruther, sophomore Avery Guy of Cedar Rapids and Pickering had two hits apiece in DMACC's loss in the second game. Guy, Wells and Ruther each doubled in the game and Guy drove in two runs.
KCC took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third but DMACC tied it with single runs in the bottom of the third and bottom of the fourth. KCC pulled away with four runs in the fifth and two in the sixth. DMACC added its other run in the bottom of the seventh.
Sophomore Peyton Parker of La Porte City pitched the first four and a third innings and suffered the loss. She allowed six runs on nine hits and struck out one batter. Freshman Ally Anderson of Atlantic threw one inning, allowing two runs on sixth hits. She struck out one batter and walked one. Freshman Dana Dunbar of Chadron, Neb., pitched an inning and two-thirds, allowing one hit, striking out one batter and walking one.
Ruther had three hits, Wells collected two hits and drove in three runs and freshman Maddie Karr of Center Point had two hits and drove in a pair of runs to lead the Bears in their opener against ECC. DMACC took a 1-0 lead in the fourth, scored five runs in the fifth and one in the seventh.
Karr and Wells homered in the win and Anderson joined the hit parade with a pair of singles.
Swafford tossed a one-hitter to come away with the win. She struck out 11 and walked one.
Wells belted a home run and drove in three runs and Ruther, Swafford, Karr and Schuemann had three hits apiece for DMACC in the second game, which was called after five innings because of the mercy rule. The Bears took a 5-0 lead in the first, scored one run in the second, two in the third, three in the fourth and two in the fifth. ECC scored its lone run in the bottom of the fifth.
Guy and Pickering had two RBIs apiece in the win.
Dunbar went the distance for the win, allowing one run on three hits.
