- Sophomore Sydney Kennedy pitches DMACC to two of the four wins
- Sophomore Maddy Kearns and freshman Kelsey Palmer leads Bears with six hits apiece in the four game
- Bears headed to NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga.
The DMACC softball team began the 2023 season by going undefeated in four games in the Southeastern Dome Classic February 24 and 25 at West Burlington.
The Bears, ranked third in the Division II preseason softball poll from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), defeated Spoon River College (SRC), 6-5, in their tournament opener on Feb. 24 and added a 6-4 win over 16th-ranked Illinois Central College (ICC) later in the day. On Feb. 25, DMACC handed No. 14 Triton College (TC) a 13-0 loss in five innings and closed out the tournament with a 9-5 win against Kankakee Community College (KCC).
Sophomores Maddy Kearns of Glenpool, Okla., and Kendal Clark of Humboldt and freshman Kelsey Palmer of Cedar Rapids had two hits apiece in DMACC's tournament opening win. The Bears trailed 2-0 after the first inning but scored five runs in the top of the second and closed out the win with a run in the top of the fourth. SRC scored its other three runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Clark and sophomore Sydney Kennedy of Peosta hit doubles in the win and Kearns, Clark, Kennedy, sophomore Emily Ades of Boone, Palmer and freshman Madisyn Kelley of Nora Springs drove in one run apiece.
Kennedy pitched the first five innings and got the win. She allowed five runs on eight hits, struck out eight and walked one. Only one of the five runs was earned. Freshman Courtney Donahue of Marshfield, Wis., threw the last two innings and earned the save. She gave up two hits, struck out three and walked one.
Sophomore Kaylynn Salyars of Muscatine hit a pair of doubles and freshman Ceara Swanson of Lincoln, Neb., doubled and drove in two runs to lead the Bears to their win over ICC. DMACC took a 4-0 lead with four runs in the bottom of the third and led 6-2 after four innings. ICC scored a run in the top of the fourth, tallied twice in the top of the sixth and added its final run in the top of the seventh.
Freshman Kinsley Robertson of Tiffin pitched the first four innings and earned the win. She allowed one run on three hits, struck out three and walked two. Donahue went an inning and a third, allowing two runs, walking four and striking out one and freshman Grace Bailey of Hamilton got the save after pitching an inning and two-thirds. She allowed one run on two hits, struck out four and walked one.
The Bears made quick work against TC on Feb. 25, scoring five runs in the first and adding eight in the fourth. The game was called because of the mercy rule after TC batted in the top of the fifth. Sophomore Amaya Snyder of Cedar Rapids paced the Bears with three hits, including a two doubles, and three runs batted in. Kennedy, sophomore Emily Ades of Boone, Madisyn Kelley and freshman Campbell Kelley of Rock Island, Ill., each doubled in the win and Ades drove in three runs with Kennedy, Snyder and Campbell Kelley getting two RBIs apiece.
Kennedy allowed just one hit over five innings to come away with her second win. She struck out eight and walked three.
Kearns had three hits, including a double, and drove in two runs to help the Bears to their win over KCC. DMACC, which scored one run in each of the first two innings, pulled away from a 2-2 tie with four runs in the bottom of the third and closed out the win with three runs in the bottom of the fifth. KCC tallied twice in the third, twice in the fourth and added its final run in the sixth.
Ades and Palmer had two hits apiece in the win and Swanson, freshman Hannah Ironside and Madisyn Kelley hit doubles. Ades and Madisyn Kelley drove in two runs apiece.
Donahue pitched the first three innings and notched her first win of the season. She allowed two unearned runs on two hits, struck out six and walked three. Robertson went three innings and allowed three runs on three hits. She struck out five and walked five. Kennedy threw the final inning, allowing one hit and striking out one batter.
The DMACC softball team will play in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Leadoff Classic March 3 and 4 at Columbus, Ga. The Bears will play fifth-ranked Jones College (JC) and Triton College on Feb. 3 and will face Gordon State College (GSC) and Seminole State College of Florida (SSCF) on Feb. 4. JC