- NECC scores in the top of the eighth to come away with the win
- Sophomores Jaylen Ziegler, Camden Kaufman, Cory Bantam and Maddox Johnston lead DMACC with two hits apiece
- Sophomore Jai Jensen suffers the loss
Northeast (Neb.) Community College (NECC) broke a 4-4 tie with a run in the top of the eighth and held the DMACC baseball team scoreless in the bottom of the inning and the bottom of the ninth to come away with a 5-4 decision against the Bears April 17 at the DMACC baseball diamond.
The loss was DMACC's 18th of the season against 21 wins and the Bears are 9-10 in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC).
NECC led 3-0 after the first inning and 4-0 after two innings. DMACC got on the scoreboard with a run in the fifth and then scored twice in the sixth and tied the game with a run in the bottom of the seventh.
Sophomores Jaylen Ziegler of Urbandale, Camden Kaufman of Waukee, Cory Bantam of Woodbine and Maddox Johnston of Chanhassen, Minn., paced DMACC with two hits apiece including a pair of doubles by Bantam and one from Johnston. Sophomore Kannon Coakley of Maquoketa and freshman Jackson Manning of Keosauqua also doubled and sophomore Dillon Kuehl of Urbandale hit a solo home run.
Coakley got the Bears on the board when he doubled in the fifth and scored on Johnston's double. Kuehl homered for one DMACC run in the sixth and Bantam and Manning hit back-to-back doubles for the second run. Sophomore Noah Thein of Dewitt tallied the Bears' run in the seventh. He opened the inning with a walk, took second on a single by Johnston, moved to third on Ziegler's bunt single and scored on Kaufman's base hit.
NECC got two base hits and took advantage of a DMACC error for its run in the top of the eighth.
Sophomore Jackson Horras of Pekin started on the mound for the Bears and went an inning and two-thirds. He allowed four runs on four hits, struck out one and walked two. Sophomore Kaleb Gengler of Sioux City pitched five and a third innings, allowing three hits with eight strikeouts and two walks and sophomore Jai Jensen of Clinton went one inning and suffered the loss in his first decision of the season. He allowed one run on two hits and struck out one. Sophomore Eli Lehrman of Anamosa also pitched an inning, allowing two hits and striking out one batter.
The DMACC baseball team will play Southeastern Community College (SECC) in a single game April 19 at West Burlington and will play Kirkwood Community College (KCC) in a three-game series April 20 and 21 at the DMACC baseball diamond. The two teams will play a doubleheader on April 20 and will play a single game on April 21.
SECC and KCC are ranked sixth and 10th respectively in the Division II poll from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). SECC is 31-9 overall and is second in the ICCAC at 15-4. KCC is 28-12 overall and is sixth in the ICCAC at 9-