• Grand slam home run by Ziegler lifts DMACC to 8-3 win in the opener
• Franck and Ziegler homer and drive in four runs apiece in 22-3 win in the second game
• Lehrman and Dermody get the victories

Freshman Jaylen Ziegler of Urbandale belted a grand slam home run in the top of the eighth inning to lead the DMACC baseball team to an 8-3 win over Ellsworth Community College (ECC) in the first game of a doubleheader April 23 at Iowa Falls. Ziegler hit two home runs and sophomore Gage Franck of Marion homered and they each drove in four runs in the Bears' 22-3 win in the second game.

Sophomore Brodie Kresser of Jesup led the Bears with two home runs and eight RBIs.

DMACC improved to 21-21 overall and 10-12 in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) with the wins.

Ziegler's home run capped a five-run eighth inning in DMACC's win in the first game. Franck started the rally with a two-out single and moved to second when freshman Mitchell Cummins of Chanhassen, Minn., reached on an error. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch and Kresser walked to load the bases. Sophomore Reed Stallman of Alburnett also drew a walk, scoring Franck and Ziegler followed with a home run to give the Bears an 8-3 lead. Freshman Eli Lehrman of Anamosa then retired ECC in order in the bottom of the eighth to preserve the win.

ECC scored twice in the bottom of the third for a 2-0 lead and DMACC went ahead 3-2 with three runs in the top of the fourth. ECC tied it with a run in the bottom of the sixth.

Franck paced DMACC's seven-hit attack with a double and a single and drove in two runs.

Sophomore Joe Husak of Cambridge pitched the first five and two-thirds innings for the Bears, allowing three runs on 10 hits. He struck out five and walked two. Lehrman went two and a third innings and ran his record to 1-1 with the win. He struck out three batters.

The Bears took the second game behind a 12-run rally in the top of the fourth. The game was called after five innings because of the 10-run mercy rule. Franck also homered in the win.

Franck, Cummins, Kresser and Ziegler had three hits apiece and freshman Kannon Coakley of Maquoketa and Noah Thein of DeWitt had two hits apiece, including a double by Coakley. Franck and Ziegler drove in four runs apiece and Cummins had three RBIs.

Freshman J.C. Dermody of Council Bluffs threw all five innings and improved to 4-5 with the win. He allowed three runs on three hits, struck out nine and walked four.

The two teams will meet in a single game today at Iowa Falls. ECC comes in at 18-18 overall and 12-10 in the ICCAC.