- Southeastern CC tops DMACC 10-2 in a championship bracket game
- Bears top Northeast (Neb.) CC on walk off home run by freshman Adam Leininger in an elimination game
- DMACC drops a second game to Southeastern CC, 17-7
The DMACC baseball team closed the season at 25-30 after going 2-2 in the Region 11 Division II Baseball Tournament May 8 to 11 at Carroll.
The Bears, seeded fifth, opened the tournament with an 8-3 upset of fourth-seeded Ellsworth Community College (ECC) on May 8 and then dropped a 10-2 decision to top-seeded Southeastern Community College (SECC) in a championship bracket game on May 9.
DMACC kept its tournament hopes alive with an 8-0 walk off win against sixth-seeded Northeast (Neb.) Community College (NECC) on May 10 but the Bears were eliminated from the tournament behind a 17-7 loss to SECC, also on May 10.
SECC took a 5-0 lead in the first inning of its win over the Bears on May 9. The Blackhawks went up 7-0 with two runs in the third and had a 9-0 lead after scoring two runs in the fifth. DMACC made it a 9-2 game with two runs in the top of the sixth and SECC closed out the win with a run in the bottom of the seventh.
DMACC was limited to just four hits in the game, including a home run and a single from sophomore Jackson Manning of Keosauqua, who drove in both Bears runs.
Sophomore Konner Entz of West Fargo, N.D., pitched the first four innings and fell to 5-2 with the loss. He allowed nine runs on eight hits, struck out two and walked three. Freshman Rhett Pleggenkuhle of Van Meter pitched two and a third innings, allowing one run on one hit with one strikeout and two walks and freshman Zack Turpin of Waukee went a third of an inning, walking three batters and striking out one.
DMACC took a 2-0 lead in the first inning of its win over NECC and added one run in each of the second and third innings, two in the sixth and two in the eighth. Freshman Adam Leininger of Fargo, N.D., gave the Bears the walk off win via the mercy rule with a two-run home run in the eighth. He followed a base hit by Manning with a blast over the fence in right field to end the game.
Manning, Leininger and freshman Cole Baumgart of Clarinda paced DMACC at the plate with two hits apiece and freshman Blake Crancer of Normal, Ill., had a pair of RBIs.
Sophomore Jaqson Tejada of Marion improved to 4-2 with the win. He pitched seven and a third innings, allowing two hits with six strikeouts with five walks. Freshman Andrew Theiss of Clear Lake threw two-thirds of an inning and retired two of the three batters he faced.
SECC used a 13-run rally in the bottom of the third inning to power its way past the Bears on May 10. The Blackhawks led 1-0 after the first inning, 14-0 after three innings and 16-7 after five innings with DMACC scoring all seven of its runs in the top of the fifth. SECC closed out the win via the mercy rule with a run in the bottom of the sixth.
DMACC had seven hits in the game with sophomore Matt Rivers of Colfax getting a three-run double in the fifth. Crancer and sophomores Kaden Frommelt of Marion, Carter Bryan of Johnston and Colin Driscoll of Waukee drove in one run apiece.
Freshman Nick Cox of Polk City started on the mound for the Bears and fell to 0-3 with the loss. He pitched two innings, allowing seven runs on four hits with two walks. Sophomore Bobby Uthe of Ames allowed three runs on one hit with two walks and was not credited with any innings pitched and freshman Jordan Leininger of Fargo, N.D., surrendered four runs and three walks and was not credited with any innings pitched. Sophomore Brennan Haman of West Fargo, N.D., went a third of an inning, walking two batters and freshman Carter Hines of Fruita, Colo., pitched an inning and two-thirds, giving up one run on one hit with two walks and two strikeouts. Freshman Gage Miller of Mandan, N.D., threw one inning, allowing two runs on one hit with one strikeout and two walks and Theiss went a third of an inning, allowing one hit and striking out one batter.