• Bears defeat Central (Neb.) CC by scores of 9-0 and 6-2
• Sophomore Sydney Kennedy pitches two-hitter in winning the opener
• Freshman Courtney Donahue scatters six hits in winning the second game

The DMACC softball team will be making its ninth consecutive trip to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II World Series after defeating Central (Neb.) Community College (CCC) in the NJCAA North Plains-B District Tournament May 12 at Columbus, Neb.

The regional title was DMACC's ninth in a row.

The Bears, ranked 17^th in the most recent Division II poll from the NJCAA, won by scores of 9-0 and 6-2 in extending their current winning streak to six games. The first game was called after five innings because of the mercy rule and the second game was called because of impending inclement weather with CCC batting with two outs in the top of the seventh.

Sophomore Sydney Kennedy of Peosta threw a two-hitter, struck out 10 and walked one in winning her 22^nd game of the season against four losses in the opener. Kennedy helped her own cause with a hit and an RBI.

DMACC did all of its scoring in the first two innings, scoring three runs in the first and six in the second.

Freshman Amaya Snyder of Cedar Rapids paced the Bears at the plate with a pair of hits and two runs batted in. Freshman Ceara Swanson of Lincoln, Neb., accounted for DMACC's only extra-base hit with a double and drove in two runs. Sophomore Maddy Kearns of Glenpool, Okla., and freshman Grace Bailey of Hamilton also drove in runs for the Bears.

Kennedy had three hits and Kearns homered and drove in two runs in DMACC's win in the second game.

The Bears led 1-0 after the first inning and 4-0 after two innings. CCC closed to within 4-1 with a run in the top of the fourth before DMACC added a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth. CCC tallied its second run in the top of the sixth.

Kearns, Bailey and sophomore Kaylynn Salyars of Muscatine had two hits apiece and Kennedy, Snyder, Bailey and sophomore Kendal Clark of Humboldt drove in one run apiece.

Freshman Courtney Donahue of Marshfield, Wis., came away with the win, her 16^th of the season against one loss. She allowed two runs on six hits, struck out 13 and walked three.

The 2023 NJCAA Division II World Series will be played May 23 to 27 at Spartanburg, S.C.