• Bears and Reivers split a doubleheader on March 28
• Iowa Western CC takes a single game on March 29
• DMACC faces Ellsworth Community College on March 31

The DMACC baseball team slipped to 13-17 overall after dropping two of three games to Iowa Western Community College (IWCC) March 28 and 29 at Council Bluffs.

IWCC won the opener on March 28, 9-1, and DMACC took the nightcap, 12-11 in 10 innings. The Reivers claimed a single game on March 29, 6-5.

IWCC, ranked ninth in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I, improved to 24-7 with it two victories.

The Reivers never trailed in winning the opener on March 28. They scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the first, four in the third, one in the fifth and two in the sixth. DMACC tallied its lone run in the top of the fourth.

The Bears collected five hits off three IWCC pitchers, including a pair of singles from freshman Maverick DeVeau of Kendallville, Ind. Freshman Drake Obermueller of Iowa City drove in the DMACC run.

Redshirt freshman Hunter Cook of Polk City started on the mound for the Bears and took the loss, falling to 1-2 for the season. He pitched five innings, allowing seven runs on nine hits and struck out six batters. Sophomore Zack Turpin of Waukee went one inning. He allowed two runs on two hits and walked one batter.

DMACC overcame an 11-5 deficit with five runs in the top of the ninth and one in the tenth in winning the second game.

Sophomore Cole Baumgart of Clarinda and freshman Drew Owen of Alleman led the Bears with three hits apiece, including a triple from Baumgart and a double and home run by Owen. Baumgart drove in four runs and Owen had an RBI.

Freshman Ben Hites of Oak Creek, Wis., started for DMACC and allowed six runs on five hits with three strikeouts and three walks over four innings. Sophomore Andrew Theiss of Clear Lake pitched two hitless innings, striking out two and walking one and redshirt freshman Jackson Gwin of Lafayette, Ind., gave up four runs on two hits with two strikeouts and two walks in one inning of work. Freshman Greg Noel of Moorhead, Minn., also went one inning and gave up one run on one hit with a strikeout and a walk. Redshirt freshman Teeghen Rath of Cedar Falls pitched two hitless innings and improved to 1-1 with the win. He recorded a pair of strikeouts.

IWCC broke a 5-5 tie with a run in the bottom of the ninth in winning the single game on March 29. The Reivers led 1-0 after two innings and pulled away from a 1-1 tie with two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth. DMACC gained a 4-4 tie with a pair of runs in the sixth and one in the seventh and then took a 5-4 lead with a run in the eighth. IWCC tied it in the bottom of the eighth before winning it in the ninth.

The Bears got a solo home run from sophomore Austin Anderson of Marion and Obermueller added a double. Sophomore Trey Franck of Marion paced the Bears at the plate with a pair of singles and Obermueller drove in two DMACC runs.

Sophomore Gage Miller of Mandan, N.D., started for the Bears and pitched two innings, allowing one run on two hits with one strikeout and a walk. Sophomore Jordan Leininger of Fargo, N.D., went four innings, allowing three runs on three hits with six strikeouts and freshman Ben Engele of Oakdale, Mont., allowed one run on one hit with two strikeouts in one inning on the mound. Freshman Grayson Kirsch of Marion suffered the loss, falling to 0-2 for the season. He pitched an inning and two-thirds, allowing one run on one hit with three strikeouts.

The DMACC baseball team will play Ellsworth Community College (ECC) in a single game on March 31 at Iowa Falls. The Bears are 1-3 in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC). ECC is 11-18 overall and 2-2 in league play.