• Sophomore Chance Key shuts down NECC behind a five-hitter
• Sophomores Camden Kaufman and Kannon Coakley homer for the Bears
• Fifth-seeded DMACC faces top-seeded Kirkwood CC in second round

Sophomore Chance Key of Waverly pitched a five-hitter and sophomores Camden Kaufman of Waukee and Kannon Coakley of Maquoketa each homered as the DMACC baseball team handed Northeast (Neb.) Community College a 10-2 loss in the first round of the Division II Region 11 Baseball Tournament May 9 at Fort Dodge.

The Bears, seeded fifth, improved to 31-23 with the win and will face top-seeded Kirkwood Community College (KCC) today in the tournament's second round. The Eagles won two of three games against DMACC during the regular season.

Key improved to 8-0 win the win. He struck out seven and did not issue a walk.

DMACC took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth when Kaufman homered over the left field fence. NECC answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning but it was all DMACC the rest of the way as the Bears scored three runs in each of the sixth and seventh innings and wrapped up the victory with three runs in the ninth.

Freshman Sam Hesselmann of Johnston hit a sacrifice fly in top of the sixth to give the Bears a 2-2 tie and freshman Jackson Manning of Keosauqua broke the tie later in the inning with a two-run double, giving DMACC the lead for good.

Coakley hit a three-run homer in the seventh for a 7-2 DMACC lead. Hesselmann hit another sacrifice fly in the ninth and DMACC closed out the win with two more runs, one coming on a base hit by freshman Kaden Frommelt of Marion and the other run coming on an NECC error.

DMACC and KCC will meet at 2:30 p.m. today. With a win, the Bears will face either second-seeded Southeastern Community College (SECC) or third-seeded Iowa Central Community College (ICCC) May 11 at 2:30 p.m. A loss to KCC would send the Bears against sixth-seeded North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) at 6 p.m. or DMACC could face the SECC-ICCC loser at 11 a.m. on May 11.

The double-elimination tournament continues through May 12 when the championship game will be played at 11 a.m. A second championship game, if necessary, would be played immediately following the first championship game.

The Division II Region 11 champion will advance to district play May 17 and 18 with the opponent and site to be determined.