- Freshman Kaylie Reynolds of Muscatine drives in four runs and freshman Sophie Maras of Johnston has three RBIs in win over Baton Rouge CC
- Freshman Alexis Lander of Onawa throws a one-hitter to help DMACC to its first win
- Freshman Jada Collins of Des Moines leads Bears past No. 16 East Central CC with five RBIs
The DMACC softball team opened the 2021 season February 21 and 22 in the Rush Tournament in Meridian, Miss., and came away with three wins in four games.
The Bears, ranked ninth in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II preseason poll, dropped their tournament opener, 3-1, to Snead State Community College (SSCC) on Feb. 21 and notched their first win of the season in a 10-0 five-inning decision against Baton Rouge Community College (BRCC), also on Feb. 21. DMACC took both games on Feb. 22, defeating Meridian Community College (MCC), 11-3 in five innings and handing 16th-ranked East Central Community College (ECCC) an 8-6 loss. A game against Calhoun Community College (CCC) on Feb. 21 was cancelled because of a power outage.
DMACC managed just three hits in falling to SSCC in the Bears' season opener. Freshman Sophie Maras of Johnston recorded a double and freshmen Delaney Kelley of Rock Island, Ill., and Zoey Wright of Ottumwa each singled. Maras drove in the lone DMACC run.
Freshman Ellie Jacobson of Humboldt pitched all seven innings for the Bears, allowing three runs on seven hits. She struck out four and did not walk a batter.
Freshman Kaylie Reynolds of Muscatine and Maras drove in four and three runs respectively to lead DMACC past BRCC in the second game on Feb. 21. The Bears scored two runs in each of the first two innings, added four runs in the fourth and closed out the win with two runs in the fifth. The game was called because of the 10-run mercy rule after BRCC failed to score in the bottom of the fifth.
Maras had three hits in the win, including a double and a home run. Reynolds also homered, Alexis Lander of Onawa recorded a double and freshman Sami Miller of Mason City tripled.
Lander threw all five innings to get the win. She allowed one hit and struck out three batters.
Maras doubled and homered and drove in five runs in DMACC's win over MCC. The Bears took a 1-0 lead in the first, scored four times in second, four in the third and two in the fifth. MCC scored its three runs in the bottom of the third and the game was called because of the mercy rule after MCC failed to score in the bottom of the fifth.
Freshmen Isabella Johnson of Slater, Brionna Vasey of Des Moines, Reynolds and freshman Abby Flanagan of Coggon had two hits apiece in the win and Kelley drove in three runs.
Flanagan went five innings for the win. She allowed three runs on six hits and struck out five batters.
DMACC opened up a 3-0 lead against ECCC in the first inning but ECCC matched that with three runs in the bottom of the inning and then went up 6-3 with three more runs in the bottom of the second. The Bears made it a 6-5 game with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth and then got the win behind three runs in the top of the sixth.
Maras, freshman Abby Husak of Polk City and freshman Jada Collins of Des Moines had two hits apiece in the win and Collins drove in five runs with a double and a single. Maras also doubled and Miller added a triple.
Jacobson pitched the first two innings, allowing six runs on six hits. She struck out three and walked one. Lander pitched the final five innings and limited ECCC to one hit to come away with the win. She struck out two batters.
The DMACC softball team will play John A. Logan College (JALC) and Jones College (JC) in games today at Jones, Miss. JC is ranked second in NJCAA Division II.