• DMACC takes doubleheader on February 4, 6-2 and 11-2
• Bears lose two games on Feb. 5, 5-2 and 15-3
• DMACC baseball team faces North Texas State College on Feb. 17 and 18

The DMACC baseball team split a four-game series against Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa (NOCT) February 4 and 5 at Tonkawa, Okla., winning a pair of games on Feb. 4 and dropping a doubleheader on Feb. 5.

Sophomore Gage Franck of Marion drove in three runs as DMACC took the opener on Feb. 4 by a 5-3 score. Sophomore Mitch Cummins of Chanhassen, Minn., had five runs batted in and sophomore Reed Stallman of Alburnett drove in three runs in the Bears' 11-2 win in the second game, which was called after six innings because of the mercy rule.

NOCT won both games on Feb. 6 by scores of 5-3 and 15-3. The second game was called after five innings because of the mercy rule.

DMACC scored two runs in the first and four in the seventh in winning the opener on Feb. 4. Franck and freshman Dillon Kuehl of Urbandale paced the Bears with two hits apiece.

Sophomore Joe Husak of Cambridge pitched the first four and a third innings and came away with the win. He allowed one run on three hits. Freshman Zach Kain of Urbandale struck out one batter in two-thirds of an inning and freshman Ty Madison of Omaha, Neb., allowed one hit in two-thirds innings of work. Freshman Camden Kaufman of Waukee picked up the save. He threw an inning and a third, allowing one run on three hits with three strikeouts.

Cummins blasted a pair of home runs and Stallman also homered in DMACC's win in the second game. The Bears took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, scored one run in the fourth and three runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings before closing out the win with a pair of runs in the seventh.

Cummins had a pair of singles to go with his two home runs and Stallman also singled. Sophomores Brodie Kresser of Jesup and Sergio Lira Ayala of Nappannee, Ind., and freshmen Noah Thein of DeWitt, Kaufman and Jaylen Ziegler of Urbandale each doubled.

Freshman J.C. Dermody of Council Bluffs pitched the first two and two-thirds innings and came away with the win. He allowed one run on two hits and struck out two batters. Sophomore Zach Hoehn of Waseca, Minn., issued one walk in two-thirds of an inning and freshman Vinny Mauro of Norwalk gave up one run on one hit and struck out two in two innings on the mound. Freshmen Jacob Sjuts of Humphrey, Neb., and Jai Jensen of Clinton each threw one inning. Sjuts recorded a pair of strikeouts and Jensen allowed one hit and struck out three batters.

NOCT broke a 3-3 tie with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth to come away with a 5-3 win in the opener on Feb. 5. Kresser and Kaufman paced DMACC with two hits apiece, including a double by Kresser and two doubles by Kaufman. Cummins, Kaufman and freshman Kannon Oakley of Maquoketa had one RBI apiece for DMACC, which scored all three of its runs in the top of the fourth.

Sophomore Drew Scherbenske of Rapid City, S.D., pitched two and a third innings and allowed three runs on seven hits. Madison pitched one inning and gave up one run on one hit and freshman Chance Key of Waverly allowed one run on three hits and struck out two in two and two-thirds innings of work.

DMACC took a 3-0 lead in the first inning of the second game on Feb. 5, but NOCT answered with eight runs in the bottom of the third and seven in the bottom of the fourth to get the win.

Cummins homered and tripled and drove in all three DMACC runs. Sophomore Cy Patterson of Council Bluffs recorded a double in the loss.

The Bears used seven pitchers in the game. Sophomore Cooper Smith of Johnston went two and a third innings, allowing three runs on six hits with one strikeout. Freshman Thomas Leiden of Omaha, Neb., allowed four runs on one hit and one walk in a third of an inning and suffered the loss. Freshman Alex Berends of Story City gave up a run on two hits in a third of an inning and freshman Kaleb Gengler of Sioux City allowed five runs on two hits and two walks but was not credited with any innings pitched. Freshman Jackie Smith of Johnston allowed two runs in two-thirds of an inning and freshman Jackson Horras of Pekin issued two walks and was not credited with any innings pitched. Hoehn worked a third of an inning and allowed one hit.

The DMACC baseball team will play a four-game series against North Central Texas College (NCTC) Feb. 17 and 18 at Gainesville, Texas.