• Sophomore Blake Crancer drives in two runs in a 5-2 win in the first game
• Sophomore Trey Franck drives in three runs in a 10-6 win in the nightcap
• Sophomore Jordan Leininger and redshirt freshman Jackson Gwin get the wins

Sophomores Blake Crancer of Normal, Ill., and Trey Franck of Marion drove in two and three runs respectively as the DMACC baseball team swept a doubleheader from Northeast (Neb.) Community College (NENCC) April 15 at Norfolk, Neb.

Crancer had a pair of RBIs in the Bears' 5-2 win in the opener and Franck drove in three runs in a 10-6 win in the nightcap.

Sophomore Jordan Leininger of Fargo, N.D., got the win in the first game and redshirt freshman Jackson Gwin of Lafayette, Ind., was the winning pitching in the second game.

With the wins, DMACC improved to 24-17 overall, 12-3 in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) and ran its current winning streak to 11 games.

NENCC fell to 25-19 and 8-7.

NENCC took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning of the first game and led 2-1 after both teams scored runs in the second inning. The Bears scored twice in the top of the sixth for a 3-2 advantage and added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh.

Freshmen Drew Owen of Alleman and Drake Obermueller of Iowa City led DMACC with four and three hits respectively and Crancer had a single and a double. Franck and sophomore Cole Baumgart of Clarinda drove in one run apiece.

Freshman Izzaq Zrust of Ladd, Ill., pitched the first three and a third innings for the Bears, allowing two runs on five hits with five strikeouts and three walks. Redshirt freshman jack Bunnell of Eddyville went an inning and a third, allowing two hits, striking out one batter and walking one. Leininger, who improved to 3-3 with the win, allowed one hit over two innings and freshman Teeghen Rath of Cedar Falls threw a third of an inning and earned his first save of the season. He struck out the only batter he faced.

DMACC scored three runs in the second, three in the fourth, one in the seventh and three in the ninth in winning the second game. NENCC scored single runs in the second and third innings and two each in the fifth and sixth innings.

Obermueller led the Bears at the plate with three hits, including two doubles, and Crancer and Franck had two singles apiece. The Bears got home runs from Franck and sophomores Adam Leininger of Fargo, N.D., and Brock Moore of Urbandale. Sophomore Austin Andersen of Marion added a double. Leininger and Crancer drove in two runs apiece.

Freshman Grayson Kirsch of Marion started on the mound for DMACC and allowed two runs on five hits with a strikeout and two walks over three innings. Freshman Ben Engele of Oakdale, Mont., went an inning and a third, allowing two runs on two hits with two strikeouts and a walk and freshman Greg Noel of Moorhead, Minn., allowed two runs on one hit with two strikeouts and a walk in an inning and a third. Sophomore Sebastian Talaga of Palo Hills, Ill., walked the only two batters he faced and Gwin went an inning and a third, allowing two hits, striking out three batters and walking one. He improved to 1-1 with the win. Sophomore Andrew Theiss of Clear Lake pitched the final two innings and earned his first save of the season. He allowed three hits and struck out three batters.

The DMACC baseball team will face Southeast (Iowa) Community College (SEICC) in a three-game series April 18 and 19 at West Burlington. The two teams will play a doubleheader on April 18 and a single game on April 19. SEICC leads the ICCAC with a 14-1 record. The Blackhawks are 33-9 overall and are ranked third in the National junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II poll.