- Sophomores Tomas Lee and Dillon Kuehl drive in DMACC runs in the first game
- Sophomore Maddox Johnson homers in Bears' win in the second game
- Sophomore Eli Lehrman gets the DMACC win
The DMACC baseball team split a season-opening doubleheader against Cloud County Community College (CCCC) February 1 at Concordia, Kan. The Bears lost the opener, 8-2, and took the second game, 12-9, behind a three-run rally in the top of the 11th inning.
DMACC was limited to six hits, including a pair of doubles by sophomore Tomas Lee of Minnetonka, Minn., in the losing the first game. The Bears tied the game at 2-2 on a pair of runs in the top of the third before CCCC pulled away with two runs in the fourth, one in the fifth and three in the sixth.
Lee's double accounted for one DMACC run in the third and sophomore Dillon Kuehl of Urbandale singled home the other run.
Sophomore Ty Madison of Omaha, Neb., started on the mound for the Bears and took the loss. He went three and a third innings, allowing four runs on sixth hits with three strikeouts and a walk. Sophomore Jackson Smith of Johnston relieved Madison in the fourth and went an inning and two-thirds. He allowed one run on one hit and walked one batter. Sophomore Jacob Sjuts of Humphrey, Neb., worked two-thirds of an inning, surrendering two runs on three hits with one walk and sophomore Zach Kain of Urbandale went a third of an inning and walked one batter.
DMACC opened up 6-0 lead in the second game with three runs in the first and three in the top of the third. CCCC battled back with three runs in the bottom of the third, then fell behind 7-3 when the Bears added a run in the top of the fourth. CCCC answered with three runs in the fourth and tied it with a run in the fifth. A pair of runs in the top of the seventh gave DMACC a 9-7 lead and CCCC responded with a run in the bottom of the seventh and then sent the game into extra innings with a run in the eighth.
Sophomore Camden Kaufman of Waukee paced the Bears with three hits, including a pair of doubles, and two runs batted in. Kuehl and sophomore Jaylen Ziegler of Urbandale had two hits apiece and Kuehl drove in one run. Sophomore Maddox Johnson of Chanhassen, Minn., belted a three-run home run for the Bears.
Ziegler started DMACC's game-winning rally when he led off the 11th inning with a single and then stole second base. Kuehl's double got Ziegler home and Kaufman followed with a double to score Kuehl. Kaufman advanced to third on an infield grounder by sophomore Cael Boever of Sioux City and scored on a wild pitch.
Sophomore J.C. Dermody of Council Bluff started on the mound for the Bears and went two and a third innings. He allowed three runs on four hits, struck out four and walked two. Redshirt freshman Brennan Haman of West Fargo, N.D., relieved Dermody in the bottom of the third and went two-thirds of an inning, allowing two runs on one hit. He struck out two and walked two. Sophomore Jake Porter of Winterset took over in the fourth and allowed two runs on fourth hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Sophomore Max Martin of Franklin, Wis., allowed one run on two hits but was not credited with any innings pitched and sophomore Kaleb Gengler of Sioux City allowed one run on one hit and struck out one batter in two-thirds of an inning. Sophomore Eli Lehrman of Anamosa worked the last three and two-thirds innings and earned the win. He surrendered four hits, struck out three batters and walked one.
DMACC and CCCC will conclude the three-game series with a single game today at Concordia, Kan.