- Jaylen Ziegler and Dillon Kuehl drive in three runs apiece in 21-2 win
- Sergio Lira Ayala has five RBIs in 15-6 win
- Noah Thein drives in two runs in 8-5 victory
The DMACC baseball team improved to 26-22 overall and 15-13 in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) after sweeping three games from Iowa Lakes Community College (ILCC) April 29 and 30 at the DMACC baseball diamond.
Freshmen Jaylen Ziegler and Dillon Kuehl, both of Urbandale, each drove in three runs as the Bears opened the series with a 21-2 win in the first game of a doubleheader on April 29. Sophomore Sergio Lira Ayala of Nappannee, Ind., had five RBIs in a 15-6 win in the second game. Freshman Noah Thein of DeWitt came away with a pair of RBIs in an 8-5 win in a single game played on April 30.
DMACC tallied four runs in the first, one in the second, seven in the third and nine in the fourth in winning the first game on April 29 and the contest was called because of the mercy rule after ILCC batted in the top of the fifth.
Ziegler, Kuehl and sophomore Reed Stallman of Alburnett had two hits apiece in the win and Stallman, sophomore Gage Franck of Marion and freshmen Kannon Coakley of Maquoketa and Camden Kaufman of Waukee came away with two RBIs apiece. Kuehl homered and doubled in the win and Ziegler, Stallman and freshman Mitchell Cummins of Chanhassen, Minn., each doubled.
Sophomore Joe Husak of Cambridge improved to 6-4 with the win. He allowed two runs on eight hits and struck out four.
Lira Ayala had a grand slam home run and drove in another run when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the second game. The Bears led 4-1 after the first inning and pulled away from a 6-6 tie with two runs in the fourth, one in the fifth and two each in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings to get the win.
Ziegler led DMCAA's 17-hit attack with four hits, Kuehl had three and Franck, Stallman, Coakley and Kaufman had two hits apiece. Coakley, Kaufman and sophomore Brodie Kresser of Jesup drove in two runs apiece.
Freshman J.C. Dermody of Council Bluffs pitched the first inning for the Bears, allowing two runs and walking one batter. Freshman Vinny Mauro of Norwalk went an inning and a third, allowing four runs on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts and freshman Jai Jensen of Clinton went six and two-thirds innings, allowing four hits, striking out five and walking one. He earned the win in his first decision of the season.
Thein's two RBIs and three hits apiece from Stallman and Coakley lifted DMACC to the win in the final game of the series. The Bears scored one run in each of the first four innings, added three in the fifth and closed out the victory with a run in the eighth. ILCC scored twice in the fourth, once in the fifth and twice in the seventh.
Kresser tripled in the win, Stallman hit a pair of doubles and Ziegler doubled. Ziegler, Kuehl, Lira Ayala and sophomore Cy Patterson of Council Bluffs drove in one run apiece.
Kaufman worked the first six innings for the Bears and improved to 2-2 with the win. He allowed three runs on four hits, struck out four and walked two. Freshman Zach Hoehn of Waseca, Minn., pitched three innings, allowing two runs on three hits with two strikeouts. He earned his third save of the season.
The DMACC baseball team will face Iowa Western Community College (IWCC) in a doubleheader May 3 at the DMACC baseball diamond. IWCC is 34-9 overall and 19-9 in the ICCAC. IWCC's losses include a 10-4 setback by the Bears April 20 at Council Bluffs.
