- Thilges belts a pair of home runs in the win
- Anthony Potthoff shuts NECC down on a three-hitter and 11 strikeouts
- Cael Boever collects two RBIs in the win
Covid-19 freshman (CoFR) Jake Thilges of Johnston homered twice and drove in five runs and CoFR Anthony Potthoff of Van Meter allowed just three hits and struck out 11 to lead the DMACC baseball team to an 8-2 win over Northeast (Neb.) Community College (NECC) in the first round of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region XI Baseball Tournament May 12 at Cedar Rapids.
The third-seeded Bears, who improved to 35-20, moved into the championship bracket semifinals where they will face second-seeded North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) at 11 a.m. today. DMACC swept all three of its games against the Trojans during the regular season.
Fourth-seeded Southeastern Community College (SECC) and top-seeded Kirkwood Community College (KCC) make up the other half of the championship bracket. SECC defeated Iowa Central Community College (ICCC) in another first-round game on May 12 and will play KCC at 2 p.m. today. Today's two winners will play at 2 p.m. on May 14.
DMACC never trailed in defeating NECC for the second time in four meetings this season. The Bears grabbed a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a run-scoring double by freshman Brodie Kresser of Jesup and Thilges' two-run home run.
NECC scored twice in the top of the second but DMACC opened up a 5-2 lean on a two-run single by freshman Cael Boever of Sioux City in the bottom of the third. Thilges hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth to close out the scoring for the Bears.
Potthoff threw all nine innings and improved to 6-3 with the win. In addition to allowing three hits and striking out 11, he walked just one batter.