The Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) baseball team ran its record to 22-10 after sweeping a four-game series against Iowa Lakes Community College (ILCC) on April 6 and 8 and spitting a doubleheader against State Fair Community College (SFCC) on April 9.
The ILCC series was played at Estherville with the Bears winning by 6-1 and 7-4 scores on April 8 and 17-13 and 21-0 on April 9. The doubleheader with SFCC was played at the DMACC baseball diamond with the Bears extending their winning streak to nine games with a 5-0 decision in the opener. SFCC ended the streak with a 2-0 victory in the nightcap.
The four-game sweep of ILCC gave DMACC a 10-2 record in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) and a first-place tie with Southeastern Community College (SECC).
Sophomore Evan Salmon of Urbandale hit a three-run home run and sophomores Calen Schwabe of Thompson, N.D., and Jacob Pinkerton of Beatrice, Neb., drove in one run apiece to lead the Bears to their win in the first game of the ILCC series. DMACC scored five of its six runs in the third inning and added another run in the fourth. ILCC tallied its lone run in the bottom of the sixth.
Sophomore Jackson Uner of Maplewood, Minn., tossed a two-hitter over five innings and improved to 3-2 with the win. He struck out three and walked two. Freshman Nathaniel Gorczyca of Omaha, Neb., threw two hitless innings, striking out three and walking two.
Salmon had two hits and sophomores Austin Murr of Stillwater, Minn., Denver Blinn of West Fargo, N.D., and Tavien Gillette of Rock Island, Ill., drove in one run each in DMACC's second win on April 6. Blinn's RBI came on a solo home run and it was DMACC's only extra-base hit in the game.
Freshman Logan Ymker of Sioux Falls, S.D., pitched the first three and a third innings, allowing two runs on three hits. He struck out three and walked two. Freshman Kaden Peterson of Luther worked two and two-thirds innings and came away with his third win of the season against no losses. He allowed one run on three hits, struck out four and walked three. Freshman Garret Reisz of Council Bluffs worked an inning and two-thirds, allowing one run on one hit and walking two batters and sophomore Jakob Richardson of Cave Creek, Ariz., earned his third save of the season behind an inning and a third on the mound. He allowed one hit and struck out two batters.
Sophomore Morgan Holmes of Minneapolis, Minn., had a double and a home run and drove in four runs as DMACC won the opener on April 8. The Bears trailed 6-2 after three innings and 10-7 after four innings, but scored seven runs in the sixth and three in the seventh to come away with the win.
Schwabe had four hits in the win, including a pair of doubles, and Murr, freshman Carter Troncin of Urbandale and Pinkerton had two hits apiece. Murr, Salmon, Pinkerton and freshman Grant Bohling of Lincoln, Neb., drove in two runs apiece with Bohling's RBIs coming on a two-run home run.
Sophomore Spencer Hanson of West Des Moines pitched the first three and a third innings, allowing nine runs on nine hits. He struck out three and walked two. Freshman Hayden Thomsen of Maple Grove, Minn., pitched an inning and two-thirds and improved to 2-0 with the win. He allowed one run on one hit, struck out three and walked two. Richardson pitched two innings, allowing three runs on two hits and striking out five batters.
Blinn hit a pair of home runs and drove in eight runs to lead DMACC to the win in the final game of the series. The Bears took a 3-0 lead with three runs in the third, added five runs in the fourth, one in the fifth and put the game away with 12 runs in the sixth. The game was called because of the mercy rule after ILCC batted in the bottom of the sixth.
Murr, Salmon and Troncin also homered in the game and Salmon and Troncin drove in three runs apiece. Holmes added two RBIs.
Sophomore Henry Ristvedt of Savage, Minn., pitched all six innings and improved to 3-1 with the win. He scattered four hits, struck out six and walked one.
Reisz doubled and drove in three runs to give DMACC the win in the opener against SFCC. The Bears took a 4-0 lead in the first and closed out the win with a run in the sixth. Freshman T.J. Mahoney of Des Moines paced the Bears' six-hit attack with two hits and freshman Ben Bryant of Fargo, N.D., collected an RBI.
Sophomore Chris Witzke of Humboldt threw the first four innings and improved to 1-1 with the win. He allowed three hits, struck out four and walked one. Freshman Will Moritz of West Des Moines pitched two and a third innings, striking out two batters and walking two and Gorczyca worked two-thirds of an inning and retired the only two batters he faced.
Murr and Troncin collected DMACC's only two hits in the Bears' loss in the second game and Troncin had the only extra base hit with a double.
Freshman Thomas Bruchu of Stillwater, Minn., pitched the first six innings and suffered the loss. He allowed two runs on five hits, struck out five and walked two. Freshman Keaton Duckett of Johnston pitched one inning, striking out three batters and walking one.
The DMACC baseball team will face Kirkwood Community College (KCC) in a four-game series April 13 and 14 at Cedar Rapids. The Eagles are 20-11 overall and 7-5 in the ICCAC.
