The Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) softball team picked up a victory and then suffered a loss in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II National Championship May 23 and 24 at Clinton, Miss.

The Bears, seeded second in the tournament, defeated Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) rival Kirkwood Community College (KCC), 6-3, on May 23, recording their fourth win in five games against the Eagles this season.

The victory moved DMACC into the championship bracket semifinals where the Bears dropped a 2-1 decision to third-seeded Phoenix Community College (PCC) today. DMACC was scheduled to face Johnson County Community College (JCCC) in an elimination game this afternoon and with a victory in that game, DMACC will face either Highland Community College (HCC) or KCC in an elimination game. A loss to JCCC will eliminate the Bears from the tournament.

Freshman Maddie Karr of Center Point accounted for DMACC's only run in the loss to PCC. The home run came in the bottom of the second, giving the Bears a 1-0 lead. PCC responded with a run in the top of the third and then scored what turned out to be the winning run on a solo home run by Nicole Villa in the top of the fourth.

DMACC, which fell to 50-7, had just four hits against winning pitcher Brianna Hardy, who struck out nine and walked two. Sophomore Avery Guy of Cedar Rapids led the Bears with a double and a single. Sophomore Mia Ruther of Burlington added a single and Karr had her home run.

Freshman Josie Swafford of Wellston, Okla., suffered just her second loss of the season against 27 victories. Swafford allowed two runs on five hits, struck out six and walked two.

Guy belted two home runs and drove in five runs and Karr also homered in DMACC's win over KCC on May 23.

DMACC took a 1-0 lead in the first when freshman Morgan Lewis of Cedar Rapids scored on an infield grounder by Guy, who hit a two-run home run in the third to make it 3-0.

KCC scored in the bottom of the fourth to close to within 3-1, but the Bears pulled away to a 5-2 advantage with a pair of runs in the fifth on Guy's second two-run homer of the game. The Eagles answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning to make it a 5-3 game and Karr added an insurance run for DMACC with a solo home run in the top of the sixth.

Sophomore Mia Ruther of Burlington paced the Bears' 12-hit attack with three singles and Lewis, Guy and freshman Josie Swafford had two hits apiece, including a double by Swafford.

Swafford improved to 27-1 with the win. She allowed three runs on four hits, struck out six and walked five.

The tournament continues through May 25 at Traceway Park in Clinton, Miss.