• Kendal Clark, Maddy Kearns and Amaya Snyder drive in two runs apiece
• Sydney Kennedy allows 10 hits and strikes out five to get the win
• Bears will face second-seeded Louisburg College in today's second round

Sophomores Kendal Clark of Humboldt and Maddy Kearns of Glenpool, Okla., and freshman Amaya Snyder of Cedar Rapids drove in two runs apiece to lead the DMACC softball team to an 8-3 win over Rock Valley College in the first round of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II World Series May 23 at Spartanburg, S.C.

The Bears, seeded tenth, topped the No. 7 seeded Golden Eagles to improve to 50-10 for the season. RVC fell to 44-11.

DMACC trailed 1-0 after three innings but took the lead for good with a five-run rally in the top of the fifth and all of the runs came after RVC pitcher Madison Carlson retired the first two batters she faced. Freshman Kelsey Palmer of Cedar Rapids started the rally with an infield single and sophomore Emily Ades of Boone followed with a double, sending Palmer to third. Clark then walked to load the bases and Kearns singled to drive in Palmer and Ades. Clark, who moved to third on the hit, scored in a single by Kennedy and sophomore Kaylynn Salyars of Muscatine followed with a base hit to load the bases for a second time. Kearns and freshman Grace Porter of Earlham, who was running for Kennedy, came home on a base hit by Snyder.

The Bears padded their lead in the sixth on a two-run home run by Clark and put an insurance run on the board in the seventh when Salyars singled, stole second and scored on a double by freshman Grace Bailey of Hamilton.

RVC closed to 7-2 with a run in the bottom of the sixth and added another run in the bottom of the seventh.

Ades, Clark, Salyars and Palmer led the Bears at the plate with two hits apiece. Ades had a pair of doubles, Clark had a double to go with her home run and Bailey also doubled.

Kennedy went the first six and a third innings and improved to 23-4 with the win. She allowed three runs on 10 hits, struck out five and walked two. Freshman Courtney Donahue of Marshfield, Wis., closed out the win by retiring the only two batters she faced.

DMACC will face Louisburg College (LC) in today's second round. The Hurricanes advanced in the championship bracket behind a 6-1 win over South Suburban College (SSC). LC is the tournament's No. 2 seed and brings a 61-3 record into their matchup against the Bears. Game time is 3 p.m. today at Tygre River Park in Spartanburg, S.C.