• Sophomore Gage Franck leads Bears to their only win, 16-6
• Freshman J.C. Dermody gets the victory
• Bears have lost seven of their last eight games

The DMACC baseball team fell to 16-18 overall and 5-9 in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) after losing three of four games against Indian Hills Community College (IHCC) April 7 and 8 at the DMACC baseball diamond.

The two teams split a doubleheader on April 7 with IHCC taking the opener, 5-4, and DMACC winning the second game, 16-6. IHCC won both games on April 8, 11-9 and 12-7. The Bears have lost seven of their last eight games.

IHCC took the first game on April 7 behind a run in the third, three in the fifth and one in the seventh. DMACC scored three runs in the sixth and one in the seventh.

Sophomore Gage Franck of Marion led the Bears with a pair of singles and an RBI. Freshman Jaylen Ziegler of Urbandale tripled and drove in two runs.

Sophomore Joe Husak of Cambridge suffered his second consecutive loss after a 5-1 start. He pitched five innings, allowing four runs on eight hits with two strikeouts. Freshman Chance Key of Waverly worked two innings, allowing one run on one hit, striking out two and walking one.

Franck had three hits, a double and two home runs, and drove in three runs in DMACC's 16-6 win in the second game. Freshman Kannon Coakley of Maquoketa belted a pair of home runs and drove in three runs and sophomore Brodie Kresser of Jesup and freshman Mitchell Cummins of Chanhassen, Minn., each homered.

DMACC led 4-3 after the first inning and scored three runs in the second and five in the fourth to open up a 12-3 advantage. The Bears closed it out with two runs in the sixth and two in the seventh. IHCC tallied one run in the sixth and two in the seventh.

Coakley had a pair of singles to go with his home run and freshman Noah Thein of DeWitt finished with three hits, including a double, and drove in three runs. Freshman Dillon Kuehl of Urbandale came away with two hits, including a triple, and had four RBIs. Kresser also had a pair of hits for the Bears.

Freshman J.C. Dermody of Council Bluffs threw the first four innings and improved to 3-4 with the win. He allowed three runs on seven hits, struck out five and walked two. Freshman Ty Madison of Omaha, Neb., threw three innings, allowing three runs on four hits. He struck out three and walked one.

DMACC had an 8-6 lead after six innings in the first game on April 8, but IHCC rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh and two in the top of the eighth to get the win. Kresser led the Bears with three hits, including a home run and a double, and drove in three runs. Franck and Coakley also homered for the Bears and Thein and Kuehl had a double and a triple respectively. Coakley finished with two RBIs.

Freshman Vinny Mauro of Norwalk started on the mound for DMACC but failed to retire a batter in the first inning. He allowed two runs and walked two batters. Freshman Jai Jensen of Clinton went four innings, allowing four runs on five hits and striking out four batters and Zach Hoehn of Waseca, Minn., allowed three runs on three hits and struck out five in two and two-thirds innings. He suffered the loss in his first decision of the season. Freshmen Eli Lehrman of Anamosa and Camden Kaufman of Waukee closed out the game for DMACC. Lehrman allowed two runs on two hits and struck out one batter in two-thirds of an inning and Kaufman went one and a third innings, striking out one batter and walking one.

IHCC opened up a 7-2 lead after the first inning in the final game of the series. DMACC scored two runs in the third and three in the fourth to make it an 8-7 game, but the Warriors closed out the win with a run in the fifth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh.

DMACC was held to three hits but benefitted from 12 walks by IHCC pitching. Freshman Tomas Lee of Minnetonka, Minn., collected two of the three hits and freshman Evan Behn drove in three runs without getting a hit.

Sophomore Drew Scherbenske of Rapid City, S.D., started for the Bears and allowed seven runs on two hits with one strikeout and three walks in a third of an inning. He fell to 0-3 with the loss. Freshman Cooper Smith of Johnston went two-thirds of an inning and gave up one hit and freshman Thomas Leiden of Omaha, Neb., went a third of an inning, giving up one unearned run, striking out one and walking three. Freshman Jacob Sjuts of Humphrey, Neb., allowing one run on three hits with two strikeouts and a walk and freshman Kaleb Gengler of Sioux City went an inning and a third, allowing two runs on one hit. He struck out three and walked one. Freshman Jackson Horras of Pekin closed out the game for DMACC, allowing one run on two hits and striking out two batters in an inning and a third.

The DMACC baseball team will face Southeastern Community College (SECC) in a single game April 12 at the DMACC baseball diamond. SECC is 26-9 overall and leads the ICCAC at 11-3.