• Emma Dighton hits six home runs and drives in nine runs in the four games
• Kendal Clark homers twice and drives in four runs
• Abby Flanagan and Dighton earn pitching victories

The DMACC softball team ran its record to 24-3 overall and 6-2 in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) after winning three of four games against Iowa Lakes Community College (ILCC) March 26 and 27 at the DMACC softball diamond.

ILCC took the opener on March 26, 11-10, and the Bears responded by winning the next three games. They took the second game on March 26 by a 13-5 score and swept both games on March 27, 7-4 and 4-0.

Freshman Emma Dighton of Boone paced the Bears with six home runs and nine runs batted in the four games and freshman Kendal Clark of Humboldt belted two home runs and drove in four runs. Dighton and sophomore Abby Flanagan of Coggon earned the pitching victories with Flanagan getting victories in two of the three games.

ILCC used an eight-run rally in the third inning to come away with the win in the opener on March 26. The rally put the Lakers up 9-1 and they still led 9-8 after DMACC scored seven runs in the bottom of the fourth. The Bears tied it with a run in the bottom of the fifth but ILCC scored twice in the top of the sixth for an 11-9 advantage. DMACC made it a one-run game with a run in the bottom of the sixth.

Dighton belted three home runs in the game and drove in four runs. Sophomore Abby Husak of Polk City and freshman Madison Kearns of Glenpool, Okla., had three hits apiece and sophomores Delaney Kelley of Rock Island, Ill., and Jada Collins of Des Moines each drove in two runs. Extra base hits include a home run and a double from Clark and doubles by Kelley and sophomore Sami Miller of Mason City.

Freshman Sydney Kennedy of Peosta pitched the first three innings for DMACC, allowing five runs on six hits. She struck out two and walked one. Dighton, who fell to 5-1 with the loss, also went three innings and allowed six runs on six hits with three strikeouts and a walk. Sophomore Lexi Lander of Onawa went one inning and allowed two hits and struck out two batters.

Clark had three hits, including a home run, and drove in three runs in DMACC's 13-5 win in the second game on March 26. The Bears led 7-2 after the first inning and 8-4 after three innings. ILCC made it 8-5 with a run in the top of the fifth and DMACC ended the game via the mercy rule with five runs in the bottom of the inning.

Husak, Kearns, Collins and sophomore Layney Loyd of New London had two hits apiece and Kelley, Collins and Dighton drove in two runs apiece. Extra base hits included doubles by Miller and Loyd.

Sophomore Ellie Jacobson of Humboldt pitched the first inning and a third for DMACC, allowing four runs on five hits. She struck out two and walked one. Flanagan went three and two-thirds innings and improved to 7-0 with the win. She allowed one run on two hits, struck out four and walked one.

Dighton hit two home runs and drove in four runs in the Bears' 7-4 win in the first game on March 27. DMACC never trailed after scoring four runs in the first inning. The Bears led 5-1 after three innings, 5-2 after four innings and 7-2 after five innings. ILCC made it respectable with two runs in the top of the seventh.

Collins and Clark joined Dighton with two hits in the game and Kearns, Collins and Miller hit doubles. Clark and Kelley had one RBI apiece.

Dighton pitched the first four innings and ran her record to 6-1 with the win. She allowed two runs on four hits and struck out two. Kennedy went two and a third innings and allowed two runs on three hits with six strikeouts and Lander got the save in two-thirds of an inning in the circle. She struck out the only two batters she faced.

Flanagan allowed six hits, struck out nine and walked two in staying undefeated at 8-0 with the win in the final game on March 27. Dighton accounted for two DMACC runs with a home run and Collins and Clark added doubles. Miller also collected an RBI in the win.

DMACC got the win with four runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Dighton's six home runs gives her 10 for the season with 26 RBIs. Clark also has 10 home runs and has driven in 28 runs and Kearns has eight home runs and 35 RBIs. Kearns leads the ICCAC in RBIs and Flanagan's 8-0 record leads the conference in wins. She also tops conference pitchers in earned run average at 1.05. Husak is second in batting average at .525 and is second in stolen bases with 16. Dighton and Clark are tied for second in home runs and Kennedy leads the league in saves with five.

The DMACC softball team, ranked first in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II poll, will play a doubleheader against Southeastern Community College (SECC) March 29 at West Burlington. SECC, an NJCAA Division I program, is 10-3 overall and 2-0 in the conference.