• Three of DMACC's four wins came in five-inning games
• Bears need seven innings to defeat Neosho County CC
• DMACC plays Neosho County CC and Allen County CC this week

The DMACC softball team ran its record to 13-2 overall with four wins in the Branson Grand Slam Classic March 6 to 8 at Branson, Mo.

The Bears, ranked fourth in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II poll, faced Cowley County Community College (CCCC) and Allen County Community College (ACCC) on March 7 and defeated both in five innings, a 9-1 decision against CCCC and a 10-2 decision against ACCC.

On March 8 DMACC handed Northern Oklahoma College-Enid (NOCE) a 14-3 loss in five innings before coming away with a seven-inning, 7-5 win over Neosho County Community College (NCCC) in the Bears' final tournament appearance.

The four wins stretched the Bears' winning streak to seven games.

Sophomore Mia Walker of Fonda and freshmen Erin Ades of Boone and Macee Reilling of Dallas Center belted home runs to lead the Bears past CCCC in their tournament debut. Walker's lone hit was a home run and she led DMACC in RBIs with four. Ades and Reilling had three hits and two RBIs apiece, including a double by Ades. Sophomore Breanna Caffery of Bettendorf joined the extra base hit parade with a triple.

DMACC all but put the game out of reach with five runs in the first and scored twice in each of the third and fourth innings. CCCC tallied its lone run in the top of the fourth.

Freshman Jacki Baas of Bondurant pitched the first four and a third innings, allowing one run on two hits with six strikeouts and two walks and got the win. Sophomore Macy Blomgren of Waukee went two-thirds of an inning and struck out one of the two batters she faced.

Sophomore Delaney Milanowski of Spring Green, Wis., and freshman Jasey Anderson of Estherville drove in three runs apiece and sophomores Hilary Wilson of Solon and Josie McCuddin of Truro each drove in two runs in DMACC's win over ACCC. The Bears scored six runs in the first, one in the second, three in the third and two in the fourth in coming away with the win.

Milanowski and Reilling led DMACC's 16-hit attack with three hits apiece and Caffery, freshman Ella Husak of Polk City and Anderson had two hits apiece. Extra base hits included doubles by Reilling, McCuddin, Ades, Anderson and freshman Bri Tigges of Urbandale.

Freshman Kierra Jungers of Fonda pitched the first three innings and got the win. She allowed one hit and struck out seven. Freshman Brooklyn Baumgardner of Slater went two innings, allowing one hit and striking out three.

Anderson and Tigges homered and Milanowski, Reilling and Wilson added doubles in DMACC's win over NOCE in the opener on March 8. The Bears led 3-0 after the first inning and put the game out of reach with nine runs in the second and two in the fourth. NOCE scored all three of its runs in the top of the fifth.

Husak and Milanowski paced DMACC at the plate with two three hits apiece and Wilson, Reilling and McCuddin each had two hits. Reilling, Tigges and Anderson each drove in three runs and Wilson and McCuddin drove in two runs apiece.

Jungers pitched the first three innings and improved to 6-0 with the win. She allowed one hit, struck out four and walked one. Sophomore Ellie Flanagan of Coggon went two innings and allowed three runs on five hits. She struck out three and walked one.

DMACC broke a 4-4 tie with two runs in the top of the sixth and one in the seventh to come away with the win against NCCC. The Bears led 2-0 after two innings and 3-1 after four innings. NCCC tied it with two runs in the bottom of the fifth and scored its final run in the bottom of the seventh.

DMACC got three hits, including a double, from Ades and Husak, Wilson and Anderson had two hits apiece, Extra-base hits included doubles by Ades and Caffery and a home run from freshman Mo Purdy of Des Moines. She led the Bears in RBIs with two.

Blomgren threw the first three innings, allowing two runs on four hits with three strikeouts and a walk. Baas went four innings and got the win to improve to 5-0. She allowed three runs on four hits, struck out five and walked two.

The DMACC softball team will see NCCC and ACCC again this week. The Bears will play a doubleheader against NCCC March 11 at Chanute, Kan., and will face ACCC in a doubleheader March 12 at Iola, Kan.