The Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) softball team began the 2020 season on a successful note with three victories February 14 and 15 at Enid, Okla.
The Bears, ranked third in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II poll, defeated Northern Oklahoma-Tonkawa (NOT), 13-0, on Feb. 14 and recorded 11-2 and 13-0 wins over Seward County Community College (SCCC) and Northern Oklahoma College-Enid (NOCE) respectively on Feb. 15. DMACC pounded out 21 extra base hits, including 13 home runs, seven doubles and a triple in the three wins.
Freshman Josie Swafford of Choctaw, Okla., tossed a two-hitter and sophomores Elly Schuemann of Marion and Maddie Karr of Center Point and freshmen Delaney Kelley of Rock Island, Ill., and Kaylie Reynolds of Muscatine blasted home runs as the Bears disposed of NOT in five innings. Kelley, Swafford, Schuemann, Karr and Reynolds paced DMACC's 14-hit attack with two hits apiece, including a pair of home runs from Reynolds. Kelley drove in five runs, Reynolds had three RBIs and Schuemann came away with two.
DMACC took a 3-0 lead in the second inning and put the game away with four runs in the fourth and six in the fifth. Swafford pitched the first four innings, allowing two hits. She struck out seven and walked two. Sophomore Ally Anderson of Atlantic threw one inning, allowing one hit, walking one batter and striking out one.
Karr hit two home runs and Reynolds, Schuemann and sophomore Ally Pickering of Winterset had one apiece in DMACC's win over SCCC. The Bears led 2-0 after two innings, 5-2 after five and used a six-run rally in the top of the seventh to get the win.
Swafford paced DMACC at the plate with four hits, including three doubles. Schuemann had three hits, including a double, and Pickering, Karr and Reynolds had two hits apiece. Schuemann and Karr drove in three runs apiece and Reynolds collected two RBIs.
Anderson went all seven innings to come away with the win. She allowed two runs on seven hits and struck out three batters.
Swafford pitched a two-hitter, struck out seven and helped her own cause with a home run in the Bears' five-inning win over NOCE. DMACC used a 10-run rally in the third to take control of the game and closed out the win with a run in the fourth and two in the fifth.
Pickering had three hits in the win, including a home run, and drove in three runs, as did Swafford. Reynolds, who also homered, drove in a pair of runs and sophomore Katie Slauson of Waukee had two hits and drove in two runs.
Swafford walked one batter in recording her second win of the season.
The DMACC softball team travels to Mississippi for games on Feb. 28 and 29 and March 1. The Bears will face Copiah-Lincoln Community College (CLCC) in a pair of games on Feb. 28 and will play Pearl River Community College (PRCC) and Northwest Florida State College (NFSC) on Feb. 29. DMACC will close out the trip against Jones County Community College (JCCC) on March 1. JCCC is ranked fourth in the NJCAA Division II poll.