- DMACC and NIACC divide doubleheaders on March 24 and 25
- Sophomore Sydney Kennedy gets both wins
- Freshman Amaya Snyder drives belts three home runs and drives in seven runs in DMACC's two wins
The DMACC softball team split a four-game series against North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) March 24 and 25 at the DMACC softball diamond. The games were originally scheduled to be played at Mason City but were moved to the DMACC softball diamond because of weather related issues. NIACC was the home team in the games on March 24 and DMACC was the home team on March 25.
The two teams split doubleheaders each day. DMACC took the opener on March 24, 10-4, and lost the second game, 6-5. The Bears also won the first game on March 25, 12-11, in nine innings, and NIACC took the nightcap by an 8-2 score.
The split gives DMACC a 21-5 overall record and a 6-2 mark in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference. DMACC head coach Bob Ligouri, who achieved his 500th career victory as the Bears' head coach earlier this season, now has a 507-107 career record at DMACC.
Sophomore Sydney Kennedy of Peosta was the winning pitcher in both of DMACC's victories and freshman Amaya Snyder of Cedar Rapids powered the offense with three home runs and seven runs batted in.
Snyder homered and drove in three runs in DMACC's 10-4 win in the opener on March 24. Sophomores Maddy Kearns of Glenpool, Okla., and Kaylynn Salyars of Muscatine had three hits apiece, including one double each, and Salyars also homered. Kennedy,
sophomore Emily Ades of Boone and freshmen Elle Nelson of Grimes and Kelsey Palmer of Cedar Rapids came away with two hits apiece in the Bears' 15-hit attack.
DMACC took a 1-0 lead in the second and all but put the game away with seven runs in the seventh. The Bears closed out the win with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. NIACC scored once in the fourth and three times in the fifth.
Kennedy got the win on a seven-hitter. She struck out seven and walked one.
DMACC had a 5-2 lead but gave up four runs in the bottom of the seventh as NIACC came away with a 6-5 win in the second game. Kennedy paced DMACC's attack with three hits, including a double, and two RBIs. Kearns and freshman Campbell Kelley of Rock Island, Ill., had two hits apiece, including a double by Kearns.
Freshman Courtney Donahue of Marshfield, Wis., pitched the first six innings, allowing three runs on eight hits. She struck out seven and walked one. Freshman Grace Bailey of Hamilton threw two-thirds of an inning, allowing three runs on four hits. She walked one batter.
Snyder had three hits, including two home runs, and drove in four runs in DMACC's 12-11 win in the opener on March 25. The Bears had a 5-1 lead after two innings and scored five runs in the sixth to open up a 10-7 lead but NIACC tied it at 10 with three runs in its half of seventh to send the game into extra innings. Both teams scored a run in the eighth and DMACC got the win with a run in the ninth.
Kennedy joined Snyder with two hits in the win and drove in three runs. Kearns and Salyars had two hits and two RBIs apiece and sophomore Kendal Clark of Humboldt and Palmer drove in two runs apiece. Extra base hits included two doubles by Kennedy and one each from Salyars, Snyder and Kearns. Salyars and Clark also homered.
Kennedy pitched the first four innings, allowing five runs on four hits with three strikeouts and a walk. Donahue gave up five runs on five hits with two strikeouts and a walk in three and a third innings and freshman Lauryn Foudree of West Des Moines surrendered a run on three hits in an inning and two-thirds. She struck out two batters and walked one.
DMACC was held to two runs on seven hits in the 8-2 loss in the final game of the series. Snyder and Kearns had two hits apiece and Kearns drove in one DMACC run and freshman Bailey Donohoe of West Branch got the other RBI. NIACC's win came behind five runs in the second, one in the fourth and two in the seventh. The Bears scored a run in the first and another in the seventh.
Freshman Kinsley Robertson of Tiffin pitched an inning and two-thirds and took the loss. She allowed five runs on three hits, struck out one and walked three. Foudree went five and a third innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and struck out three batters.
The DMACC softball team will play a doubleheader against Southeast (Neb. Community College (SECC) March 28 at Beatrice, Neb.