- Freshman Mackenzie Mohler homers and sophomore Erin Ades drives in two runs in an 8-2 win over SECC
- Sophomores Morgan Neuroth and Macee Reiling drive in five and four runs respectively in a 23-3 win over Highland CC
- Wins go to sophomores Kierra Jungers and Jacki Baas
The DMACC softball team opened the 2026 season with a pair of wins in the FunCity Turf tournament Feb. 13 at West Burlington.
Freshman Mackenzie Mohler of West Des Moines belted a home run and sophomore Erin Ades of Boone drove in a pair of runs as the Bears made their season debut with an 8-2 win over Southeastern Community College (SECC). Sophomores Morgan Neuroth of Marshalltown and Macee Reiling of Dallas Center drove in five and four runs respectively in a 23-3 win over Highland Community College (HCC) in the Bears' second game.
Sophomores Kierra Jungers of Fonda and Jacki Baas of Bondurant were the winning pitchers.
DMACC, ranked fifth in the Division II Preseason Poll from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) never trailed in beating SECC. The Bears took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, made it a 7-0 game with three runs in the fifth and two runs in the sixth. SECC closed to 7-2 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth and DMACC closed out the win with a run in the seventh.
Mohler, Reiling, sophomores Bri Tigges of Urbandale and Baylor Gregory of Papillion, Neb., and freshman Cali Richards of Des Moines had two hits apiece for DMACC, including doubles from Reiling and Tigges and home runs by Mohler and Tigges.
Jungers pitched the first six innings in getting the win. She allowed two runs on three hits, struck out nine and walked three. Sophomore Brooklyn Baumgardner of Slater threw the seventh inning and retired three of the four batters she faced.
DMACC used seven runs in the bottom of the first, seven in the second, sixth in the third and three in the fourth to dispose of HCC in five innings.
Freshman Luci Weber of Dubuque paced the Bears at the plate with four hits. Mohler and Reiling had three hits apiece and Ades, sophomore Jasey Anderson of Estherville and Neuroth had two this apiece. Extra-base hits included doubles from freshman Dana Blake of Indianola, Mohler, Anderson and Weber. Sophomore Moe Purdy of Des Moines hit a triple and Reiling belted two home runs and Neuroth hit one. Neuroth came away with five RBIs, Reiling had four, Mohler and Ades three apiece and Anderson and Blake drove in two runs apiece.
Baas worked the first three innings and got the win. She allowed three runs on three hits with five strikeouts and two walks. Baumgardner went one inning and struck out all three batters she faced and freshman Grace Herrem of Fall Creek, Wis., allowed two hits and struck out one in one inning in the circle.
The DMACC softball team will play in the JUCO Extravaganza Feb. 20 to 22 at Oxford, Ala. The Bears will open against NJCAA Division II defending national champion Copiah-Lincoln Community College (CLCC) on Feb. 20 and will face Northwest-Shoals Community College (NWSCC), also on Feb. 20.
Central Alabama Community College (CACC) and Georgia Military College (GMC) will be the Bears' opponents on Feb. 21 and Chattanooga Community College (CCC) and Lake Land College (LLC) will play DMACC on Feb. 22.
CLCC is ranked second in the NJCAA Division II Preseason Poll and CACC is ranked 15th. CCC is ranked 12th in NJCAA Division I.