• DMACC takes 4-0 and 8-2 decisions from Iowa Lakes CC
• Bears top Northeast CC 9-1 and 11-2 in two five-inning games
• Sophomore Courtney Donahue improves to 19-2 with two wins

The DMACC softball team improved to 36-8 overall and 19-3 in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) after sweeping doubleheaders from Iowa Lakes Community College (ILCC) and Northeast (Neb.) Community College (NECC) April 20 and 21 at the DMACC softball diamond.

The Bears topped ILCC by scores of 4-0 and 8-2 on April 20 and handed NECC 9-1 and 11-2 losses on April 21. Both NECC games were called after five innings because of the mercy rule.

Sophomore Courtney Donahue of Marshfield, Wis., ran her record to 19-2 with wins in the first game of each series. She allowed five hits, struck out 18 and walked five in beating ILCC and gave up one run on three hits with 12 strikeouts and a walk in the win over NECC.

DMACC, ranked ninth in the Division II poll from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), had just four hits in the first win over ILCC. Sophomore Kelsey Palmer of Cedar Rapids had two singles, sophomore Ceara Swanson of Lincoln, Neb., singled and sophomore Hannah Ironside of Swisher tripled.

The Bears got Donahue the only runs she needed in the bottom of the first when Palmer singled and moved around on a walk to sophomore Elle Nelson of Grimes, a fielder's choice by freshman Hilary Wilson of Solon and a bases-loaded walk to sophomore Campbell Kelley of Rock Island, Ill. A fielder's choice by freshman Josie McCuddin of Truro got Nelson home with the second run of the inning.

Ironside tripled and scored on a passed ball in the second and a bases loaded walk to Nelson in the bottom of the fourth accounted for the Bears' final run.

Freshman Kyleia Salyars of Muscatine had four hits, including a double, and Wilson and McCuddin had two hits apiece in DMACC's win in the second game. Kelley and McCuddin each drove in two runs.

The Bears took a 1-0 lead in the first when Palmer singled and scored on a single by freshman Delaney Milanowski of Spring Green, Wis. DMACC broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the third when Wilson tripled and scored on a grounder by Kelley and the Bears closed out the win with three runs in the fourth and three in the sixth. Ironside's sacrifice fly, a double by freshman Breanna Caffery of Bettendorf and an ILCC error accounted for the three runs in the fourth and Kelley's sacrifice fly and a two-run single by McCuddin got their Bears their three runs in the sixth.

Sophomore Kinsley Robertson of Tiffin pitched the first five and a third innings and ran her record to 11-3 with the win. She allowed two runs on four hits, struck out nine and walked four. Sophomore Lauryn Foudree of West Des Moines pitched an inning and two-thirds and struck out four of the five batters she faced.

DMACC scored three runs in each of the first three innings in winning the opener against NECC. McCuddin paced the Bears at the plate with three hits, including a double, and Nelson, Wilson and Milanowski had two hits apiece. McCuddin and Milanowski drove in three runs apiece.

McCuddin had an RBI single, Wilson scored on a wild pitch and Milanowski drove in a run with a base hit in the first. Milanowski had a two-run single in the second and Palmer drove in a run with a fielder's choice. Wilson had an RBI single and McCuddin hit a two-run double in the third.

DMACC scored three runs in the first, one in the second, three in the third and four in the fourth in winning the second game. Nelson and Kelley had three hits apiece, including a home run by Nelson and a triple by Kelley, and Palmer and Milanowski each had two hits, including a double by Milanowski. Sophomore Keaton Frere of Andalusia, Ill., had two doubles in the win. Nelson and Milanowski topped the Bears in RBIs with three apiece and Ironside and Frere each drove in two runs.

Nelson homered, Milanowski drove in a run with a base hit and the Bears scored on an error in the first and Nelson's single scored Frere in the second. Ironside had a two-run single and Frere hit a sacrifice fly in the third and Milanowski's two-run home run, a double by Frere and a single by Nelson got DMACC its four runs in the fourth.

Freshman Macy Blomgren of Waukee got the win and is 1-0 for the season. She allowed four hits and struck out nine in four innings of work. Freshman Ellie Flanagan of Coggon pitched one inning and allowed two runs on two hits with one strikeout and one walk.

The DMACC softball team will face Kirkwood Community College (KCC) in a doubleheader April 24 at Cedar Rapids. The Eagles, ranked seventh in NJCAA Division II, are 40-10 overall and 21-1 in the ICCAC and have a 24-game winning streak. They swept a doubleheader from DMACC April 6 at the DMACC softball diamond, winning by scores of 7-2 and 13-0.