• Sophomore Cael Boever drives in two runs in 13-3 loss in the opener
• Sophomore Dillon Kuehl has three RBIs in 14-8 loss in the second game
• Bears face Iowa Central CC March 23 and 24

The DMACC baseball team fell to 12-10 for the season after losing both games of a doubleheader against Iowa Western Community College (IWCC) March 19 at Council Bluffs.

IWCC, a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I program, won the opener, 13-3 in six innings, and made it a sweep with a 14-8 win in the second game. The Reivers, ranked fourth in NJCAA Division I, improved to 19-5 overall and 2-0 in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC).

DMACC, an NJCAA Division II program, is 12-10 overall and 0-2 in the ICCAC.

IWCC won the first game behind a four-run first inning. The Reivers made it a 6-0 game with runs in the second and third innings and pulled away with two runs in the fifth and five in the sixth, when the game was called because of the mercy rule. DMACC tallied all three of its runs in the third inning.

The Bears were limited to just three hits, singles by sophomores Dillon Kuehl of Urbandale, Cael Boever of Sioux City and Jaylen Ziegler of Urbandale. Boever drove in two runs and Kuehl had an RBI.

Freshman Carter Woollums of Johnston started on the mound for the Bears and suffered his first loss of the season against three wins. He went three and a third innings, allowing six runs on eight hits and struck out one batter. Sophomore Alex Berends of Story City went an inning and two thirds and allowed two runs on two hits with one strikeout. Sophomores Thomas King of West Des Moines and Thomas Leiden of Omaha, Neb., each threw a third of an inning. King gave up three runs on two hits and struck out one batter and Leiden allowed two runs on three hits.

IWCC scored runs in every inning except the second in winning the nightcap. The Reivers led 2-1 after three innings, 6-3 after four innings and pulled away from a 7-7 tie with three runs in the sixth and two each in the seventh and eighth innings. DMACC scored a run in the second, two in the fourth and four in the fifth.

Sophomore Noah Thein of Dewitt paced the Bears at the plate with three hits, including a home run, and two RBIs. Kuehl and freshman Jackson Manning of Keosauqua had two hits apiece, including a double by Kuehl, who drove in three runs. Ziegler also drove in two runs for DMACC.

The Bears used seven pitchers with the loss going to freshman Bobby Uthe of Ames in his first decision of the season. Sophomore Jackson Horras of Pekin started and lasted three innings. He allowed six runs on seven hits, struck out four and walked two. Sophomore Eli Lehrman of Anamosa went an inning and a third and allowed one run on three hits with three strikeouts. Uthe went two-thirds of an inning and gave up two runs on one hit with one strikeout. Sophomore Jake Porter of Winterset gave up three runs on three hits and walked one batter in one inning on the mound and sophomore Jacob Sjuts of Humphrey, Neb., gave up two hits and struck out two batters in one inning of work. Sophomore Jai Jensen of Clinton threw two-thirds of an inning, giving up two runs on one hit. He struck out one batter and walked one. Freshman Konner Entz of West Fargo, N.D., went a third of an inning and gave up one hit with one strikeout and one walk.

The schedule doesn't get any easier for DMACC which will face Iowa Central Community College (ICCC) in a three-game series March 23 and 24 at the DMACC baseball diamond. The Tritons are 22-1 overall and 0-1 in the ICCAC. They are ranked fourth in NJCAA Division II.