- Sophomore Courtney Donahue strikes out 13 and improves to 21-3
- Freshman Macy Blomgren strikes out 11 and improves to 3-0
- DMACC belts six home runs in the two wins
Sophomore Courtney Donahue of Marshfield, Wis., and freshman Macy Blomgren of Waukee threw back-to-back perfect games as the DMACC softball team closed the regular season by sweeping a doubleheader from Hawkeye Community College (HCC) April 29 at the DMACC softball diamond.
Donahue struck out 13 and ran her record to 21-3 in DMACC's 8-0 win in the first game and Blomgren struck out 11 and improved to 3-0 for the season in the Bears' 12-0 win in the second game. Both games were called after five innings because of the mercy rule.
DMACC closed the regular season at 41-9 overall and 24-4 in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC), good for second place in the league standings. The Bears also ended the regular season with a No. 9 ranking in the Division II poll from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).
DMACC got Donahue all the runs she needed in a four-run third inning. The runs came from an HCC error, a passed ball and a two-run single by sophomore Hannah Ironside of Swisher. DMACC made it a 6-0 game in the fourth when sophomore Elle Nelson of Grimes and freshman Hilary Wilson of Solon hit solo home runs and the Bears closed out the win with a pair of runs in the fifth courtesy of another HCC error.
Ironside paced the Bears at the plate with three hits and Nelson, Wilson and freshman Josie McCuddin had two hits apiece.
DMACC had another big inning in the second game, scoring eight runs in the bottom of the first and closing out the game with four runs in the third. Nelson hit a solo home run and drove in a run with base hit in the first, Wilson and freshman Delaney Milanowski of Spring Green, Wis., hit two-run home runs, sophomore Kelsey Palmer of Cedar Rapids drove in a run with a base hit and DMACC got a run on an infield grounder by sophomore Bella Nelson of Gilbert.
DMACC's four-run third inning included a three-run home run by Bella Nelson and an RBI single from Wilson.
Elle Nelson led the Bears at the plate with three hits and Palmer and Wilson had two hits apiece.
The DMACC softball team will be the No. 2 seed in the NJCAA Region 11-B Softball Tournament May 3 to 5 at the DMACC softball diamond. The Bears will get another shot at HCC, facing the seventh-seeded Red Hawks at 2 p.m. on March 3. Third-seeded North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) and sixth-seeded Iowa Lakes Community College (ILCC) will make up the other half of the bracket and will play at 4 p.m. on March 3. The double-elimination tournament will continue with three games on March 4 and the championship game at noon on March 5.
DMACC swept all four of its games against HCC and ILCC during the regular season and was 3-1 against NIACC.
The Region 11-B champion will face the winner of the Region 13 tournament in a double elimination district tournament May 10 and 11 at the home of the Region 13 champion. The district champion will advance to the 2024 NJCAA Division II Softball World Series May 20 to 25 at Spartanburg, S.C.
DMACC will be seeking its 10th consecutive trip to the national championship
