- Sophomore Courtney Donahue tosses a five-hitter in championship game win
- Freshman Delaney Milanowski belts a three-run home run
- Donahue and freshman Macy Blomgren combine on a perfect game in tournament opener
Sophomore Courtney Donahue of Marshfield, Wis., threw a five-hitter and struck out 15 batters and freshman Delaney Milanowski of Spring Green, Wis., hit a three-run home run as the DMACC softball team handed North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) an 8-2 loss in the championship game of the 2024 Region 11-B Softball Championship May 6 at the DMACC softball diamond.
The championship is the Bears' 10th in a row dating back to 2014.
DMACC improved to 44-9 with the win.
Donahue improved to 24-3 with the win. She allowed two runs on five hits, struck out 15 and walked one.
NIACC took a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the first but DMACC rallied for four runs in the bottom of the inning to claim the lead for good. Sophomore Elle Nelsen of Grimes started the DMACC rally with a leadoff single. She moved to second on a passed ball and scored on a base hit by sophomore Kelsey Palmer of Cedar Rapids. Freshman Hilary Wilson of Solon then popped out but freshman Josie McCuddin kept the really going with a base on balls. After sophomore Campbell Kelley of Rock Island, Ill., popped out, Milanowski drilled a 3-1 pitch over the center field fence to give the Bears a 4-2 lead.
DMACC padded its lead with an RBI single from Wilson in the fourth and closed out the win with two runs in the fifth and one in the sixth. Sophomore Hannah Ironside of Swisher drove in a run with a double in the fifth and later scored on a NIACC error. Kelley closed out the scoring with an RBI double in the sixth.
DMACC advanced to the championship game with a 14-0 win over NIACC in a championship bracket game May 5. The Bears took a 4-0 lead on a grand slam home run by Milanowski in the first and closed out the win with three runs in the second, two in the third and five in the fourth. The game was called because of the mercy rule after NIACC batted in the top of the fifth.
Donahue got the win on a one-hitter. She struck out 12 and did not issue a walk.
Palmer paced the Bears at the plate with three singles and Nelson, Wilson, Milanowski and Ironside had two hits apiece. Wilson drove in three runs and Nelson and Palmer collected two RBIs apiece.
Donahue and freshman Macy Blomgren of Waukee combined on a perfect game as DMACC opened the tournament with an 8-0 five-inning win over Hawkeye Community College (HCC) on May 3. The win was the third consecutive perfect game against HCC as DMACC closed out the regular season with two perfect game wins over the Red Tails on May 29.
Donahue got the win. She went the first four innings and struck out 10 batters and Blomgren recorded two strikeouts in an inning in the circle.
DMACC broke a scoreless tie with two runs in the third and went on to score four runs in the fourth and two in the fifth when the game was called because of the mercy rule.
Nelsen, McCuddin and Ironside led DMACC at the plate with two hits apiece and Nelsen, Milanowski and Ironside drove in two runs apiece. Nelson's double scored Ironside with DMACC's first run in the third and Nelsen later scored on a single by Palmer. Ironside made it a 4-0 game with a two-run single in the fourth and freshman Mia Trewin of Waukee and Nelsen also had run-scoring hits in the inning. Milanowski closed out the win with a two-run home run in the fifth.
DMACC's Region 11-B title advances the Bears to Northwest Plains B District Tournament against Dawson Community College (DCC) May 10 and 11 at Glendive, Mont. The two teams will play a doubleheader on May 10 and a single game, if necessary, on May 11. DCC is 37-14 this season. The Buccaneers moved into the Northwest Plains B District Tournament by winning the Region XIII title.
