• Sophomore Cory Bantam belts two home runs in 6-2 win in the opener
• Sophomore J.C. Dermody improves to 2-1 with the win
• Indian Hills scores a run in the bottom of the eighth to win the second game, 4-3

Sophomore Cory Bantam of Woodbine belted a pair of home runs and drove in three runs to lead the DMACC baseball team to a 6-2 win over Indian Hills Community College (IHCC) in the first game of a doubleheader April 6 at Centerville. IHCC broke a 3-3 with a run in the bottom of the eight to win the second game, 4-3.

The split gives DMACC an 18-15 overall record and a 6-7 mark in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC).

DMACC scored two runs in the second, three in the third and one in the seventh in winning the opener. The Bears kept IHCC off the scoreboard until the bottom of the  seventh when the Warriors scored their two runs.

DMACC took advantage of a hit batsman and an infield grounder for its 2-0 lead in the second. Sophomore Kannon Coakley of Maquoketa opened the winning with a walk and moved to third on a single by Noah Thein of Dewitt and a fielder's choice by sophomore Maddox Johnston of Chanhassen, Minn. No DMACC runner was retired by the fielder's choice and when sophomore Jaylen Ziegler of Urbandale was hit by a pitch, Coakley scored the Bears' first run. Sophomore Cael Boever of Sioux City then grounded into a double play with Thein bringing the second run home.

Sophomore Camden Kaufman of Waukee walked and scored on a double by freshman Jackson Manning of Keosauqua to make it a 3-0 game in the top of the third and Bantam followed with a home run over the left field fence to make it 5-0. He added an insurance run with a solo home run in the seventh.

Sophomore J.C. Dermody of Council Bluffs threw all seven innings and improved to 2-1 with the win. He allowed two runs on three hits, struck out nine and walked three.

DMACC used a three-run rally in the top of the eighth to tie the second game at 3-3 before IHCC got the win with a run in the bottom of the inning.

Walks to sophomore Dillon Kuehl of Urbandale and Kaufman and Bantam's single loaded the bases for the Bears with no outs in the eighth and a walk to Coakley got the first run home. Kaufman then scored on a wild pitch and freshman Kaden Frommelt of Marion grounded out with Bantam scoring on the play.

DMACC staged a minor threat in the top of the ninth with Kuehl reaching on a two-out single but Kaufman flied out to end the inning and the game.

Kuehl and Bantam paced the Bears at the plate with two hits apiece, including a double by Bantam.

Sophomore Chance Key of Waverly pitched the first six innings for DMACC, allowing two runs on nine hits with three strikeouts. Freshman Konner Entz of West Fargo, N.D.,  went one inning and gave up one run on two hits with one strikeout. Sophomore Thomas Leiden of Omaha, Neb., suffered the loss to fall to 0-1 for the season. He went two-thirds of an inning, allowing one run on one hit with one strikeout and one walk. Sophomore Jai Jensen of Clinton pitched a third of an inning and struck out the only batter he faced.

DMACC and IHCC will play a single game today at Centerville.