• Copiah-Lincoln CC tops DMACC in an elimination game, 10-3
• Third-place finish is the fourth in school history
• Sophomores Kendal Clark and Sydney Kennedy named to all-tournament team

Copiah-Lincoln Community College (CLCC) handed the DMACC softball team a 10-3 loss in an elimination game May 26 at the 2023 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Softball World Series, eliminating the Bears from the tournament and ending their season at 54-12.

The loss gave DMACC a third-place finish in the tournament, the fourth in school history. The Bears also finished third in 2019, 2018 and 2014. They were fourth in 2015.

DMACC entered the tournament as the No. 10 seed and defeated seventh-seeded Rock Valley College in its tournament opener. The Bears then lost to second-seeded Louisburg College and followed that loss with victories against ninth-seeded Danville Area Community College, (DACC), third-seeded South Mountain Community College (SMCC) and top-seeded Murray State College (MSC). The victory against MSC sent the Bears to another elimination game against LC and they avenged the earlier loss with a 2-1 win to move on to an elimination game against CLCC.

DMACC scored one run in each of the first and second innings for a 2-0 lead in the loss to CLCC, but the Lady Wolves put together a six-run rally in the bottom of the second and led the rest of the game. They led 9-2 after four innings and closed out the win with a run in the bottom of the fifth. DMACC tallied its other run in the top of the fifth.

DMACC was held to six hits in the game and sophomore Kendal Clark of Humboldt accounted for the Bears' lone extra-base hit with a triple. Clark drove in one run and sophomore Sydney Kennedy of Peosta drove in two runs.

Freshman Courtney Donahue of Marshfield, Wis., pitched the first inning and two-thirds and suffered her third loss of the season against 16 wins. She allowed six runs on five hits and walked one batter. Freshman Kinsley Robertson of Tiffin went two and a third innings, allowing three runs on four hits and struck out one batter. Freshman Lauren Foudree of West Des Moines pitched the final two innings. She gave up one run on three hits and struck out two batters.

Clark and Kennedy capped the tournament by being named to the all-tournament team, Clark as an outfielder and Kennedy as a pitcher.

Clark batted .350 in seven tournament games, collecting seven hits in 20 at-bats. Her hits included two doubles, a triple and a home run. She drove in five runs and scored four runs.

Kennedy pitched 30 and a third innings, allowing five runs on 13 hits. Two of the runs allowed by Kennedy were earned. She struck out 29 batters and walked nine.