- Sophomore Maddy Kearns scores the winning run on a wild pitch
- Sophomore Sydney Kennedy gets the win on five-hitter
- Bears will face fifth-seeded Copiah-Lincoln in another elimination game
The DMACC softball team kept its national championship hopes alive with a 2-1victory over Louisburg College (LC) in an elimination game today at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Softball World Series at Tyger River Park in Spartanburg, S.C.
With the win, which avenged a 4-1 loss to the Hurricanes in the second round, the Bears have eliminated the tournament's top three seeds from the competition, all in the elimination bracket. They'll face fifth-seeded Copiah-Lincoln Community College (CLCC) in another elimination game later today.
Sophomore Maddy Kearns of Glenpool, Okla., scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the top of the fifth inning. Kearns led off with a double to center field and took third on an infield grounder by sophomore Kaylynn Salyars of Muscatine. With freshman Amaya Snyder of Cedar Rapids at the plate, LC pitcher Kennedy Byrd uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Kearns to score.
DMACC, held without a hit by Byrd through the first three innings, trailed 1-0 after the Hurricanes' Brianna Tucker homered in the bottom of the third. DMACC drew even in the top of the fifth when Snyder was hit by a pitch, took second on a single by freshman Campbell Kelley of Rock Island, Ill., and moved to third when a sacrifice bunt by freshman Kenzie Schon of Carrol found a hole and went for a base hit. Snyder then scored on an infield out by freshman Kelsey Palmer of Cedar Rapids.
DMACC was limited to just four hits in the win, singles by sophomore Sydney Kennedy of Peosta, Kelley and Schon and Kearns' double.
Kennedy got the win to improve to 26-4 for the season. She allowed one run on five hits, struck out 10 and walked one