• Bears go 3-2 in the Region 11 Championship
• DMACC tops Northeast (Neb.) CC twice and Kirkwood CC
• DMACC loses to Southeastern CC and Iowa Central CC

Iowa Central Community College (ICCC) handed the DMACC baseball team an 11-2 loss in an elimination game in the Region 11 Championship May 9 at Carroll, ending the season for the Bears.

DMACC, which closed the season at 33-25, was one of three teams remaining in the double-elimination tournament when the loss came.

After opening the tournament with a 12-6 win over Northeast (Neb.) Community College (NENCC) on May 7, the Bears, seeded fourth, lost to top-seeded Southeastern (Iowa) Community College (SEICC), 10-7, on May 8 when the Blackhawks broke a 7-7 tie with three runs in the bottom of the eighth innings.

That loss send the Bears to the elimination bracket and they kept their tournament hopes alive with a 14-4 win over NENCC also on May 8 and a 13-12 win over second-seeded Kirkwood Community College (KCC) on May 9. The Bears then faced ICCC in another elimination game and saw their season end with the 11-2 loss.

DMACC and SEICC were deadlocked at 3-3 after three innings before the Blackhawks pulled away with four runs in the bottom of the fifth. The Bears battled back with two runs in the sixth and gained a 7-7 tie with two runs in the eighth before SEICC came away with the win behind its three-run rally in the bottom of the inning.

Sophomores Brock Moore of Urbandale and Trey Franck of Marion hit home runs for the Bears and freshman Drake Obermueller of Iowa City had three hits, including a pair of doubles. Moore and Franck each drove in two runs.

Sophomore Gage Miller of Mandan, N.D., pitched the first four innings for the Bears, allowing five runs on five hits with five strikeouts and a walk. Sophomore Jordan Leininger of Fargo, N.D., went three and two-thirds innings and fell to 6-3 with the loss. He allowed three runs on four hits with one strikeout and three walks. Freshman Teeghen Rath of Cedar Falls pitched a third of an inning and gave up two runs on two hits.

DMACC took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second in its 14-4, five-inning win over NENCC. The Hawks tied it with two runs in the third before the Bears pulled away with six runs in the fifth and three in the sixth when the game was called because of the run rule. NENCC added its other two runs in the fifth inning.

Obermueller and Franck paced DMACC at the plate with three hits apiece including one double apiece and a home run from Franck. Sophomore Blake Crancer of Normal, Ill., and freshman Maverick DeVeau of Kendallville, Ind., had two hits apiece, including two doubles from DeVeau. Moore and freshman Brayden Foster of Alleman also doubled for the Bears.

Franck and DeVeau led DMACC in RBIs with three apiece and Foster and sophomore Cole Baumgart of Clarinda each drove in two runs.

Freshman Grayson Kirsch of Marion pitched the first five innings for DMACC and improved to 2-1 with the win. He allowed four runs on five hits, struck out two and walked two. Freshman Greg Noel of Moorhead, Minn., walked the only batter he faced and freshman Ben Hites of Oak Creek, Wis., struck out one batter and walked one in one inning on the mound.

DMACC used a three-run rally in the top of the ninth to come away with its win over KCC. The Bears led 1-0 after the first inning and 3-2 after two innings. They scored five runs in the top of the fourth for an 8-2 lead before the Eagles responded with seven runs in the fifth and one in the sixth for a 10-8 advantage. DMACC tied it with two runs in the seventh and then fell behind 11-10 when KCC scored in the bottom of the eighth. KCC, trailing 13-11 in the bottom of the ninth, made it a one-run game with a home run before DMACC sophomore Andrew Theiss of Clear Lake retired the next three batters to preserve the win.

DMACC's only extra-base hit was a home run from Moore. He had three hits in the win and freshman Nolan Gala of Warrenville, Ill., came away with four singles and six runs batted it. Moore had three RBIs.

Freshman Hunter Cook of Polk City went the first four and two-thirds innings for the Bears, allowing eight runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and three walks. Freshman Izzaq Zrust of Ladd, Ill., went an inning and a third and surrendered two runs on two hits with two strikeouts and freshman Jackson Gwin of Lafayette, Ind., pitched one inning, allowing one run and walking two batters. Theiss improved to 5-3 with the win. He went two innings, allowing one run on two hits with two strikeouts.

ICCC never trailed in beating DMACC for the fourth time in as many games this season. The Tritons took a 1-0 led in the first and went up 6-0 with five runs in the second. DMACC made it a 6-1 game with a run in the third and then fell behind 9-1 when ICCC scored single runs in each of the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. DMACC added its final run in the top of the seventh and the Tritons closed it out with two runs in the bottom of the eighth.

DMACC was limited to just two hits, a double from Crancer and a single by Franck. Crancer and freshman Drew Owen of Alleman drove in one run apiece.

Hites pitched the first four innings and fell to 3-3 with the loss. He allowed eight runs on nine hits with three strikeouts and a walk. Sophomore Rhett Pleggenkuhle of Van Meter pitched two and a third innings, allowing one run on two hits with one strikeout and freshman Jack Bunnell of Eddyville allowed two runs on two hits in two-thirds of an inning on the mound.

ICCC went on to win the Region 11 championship with two wins over SEICC on May 10.