• Bears need just five innings to win two of their five games

• Sophomores Maddy Kearns and Kendal Clark pace DMACC offensively

• Sophomore Sydney Kennedy and freshman Kinsley Robertson win two games apiece

The DMACC softball team ran its record to 12-3 with five victories in six games in the Wabash Valley Bash March 10 to 12 at Evansville, Ind.

The Bears, ranked third in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II poll, defeated Danville Area Community College (DACC) and Shawnee Community College (SCC) on March 10, split games against Three Rivers Community College (TRCC) and Wabash Valley College (WVC) on March 11 and swept games against Jefferson College (JC) and Edison Community College (ECC) on March 12.

Sophomore Kendal Clark of Humboldt homered and doubled and drove in a pair of runs in DMACC's 8-5 win over DACC. Sophomore Maddy Kearns of Glenpool, Okla., had a pair of singles and also drove in two runs. The Bears took a 3-0 lead in the first inning and broke a 3-3 tie with five runs in the sixth. DACC scored two runs in the second, one in the third and two in the sixth.

Sophomore Sydney Kennedy of Peosta pitched all seven innings and improved to 4-1 with the win. She allowed five runs on nine hits, struck out one and walked four.

Freshman Kinsley Robertson of Tiffin tossed a two-hitter and struck out five in DMACC's 18-1 win over SCC. The Bears got the win behind two runs in the first, one in the second, six in the third and nine in the fourth. SCC tallied its lone run in the top of the fifth and the game was called because of the mercy rule when the Lady Saints were retired to end the inning.

Kearns and sophomore Kaylynn Salyars of Muscatine paced the Bears offensively with three hits and three RBIs apiece. Sophomore Emily Ades of Boone and freshmen Campbell Kelley of Rock Island, Ill., and Bella Nelson of Gilbert came away with two hits apiece and Ades and Kelley each drove in two runs. Kearns and freshman Amaya Snyder of Cedar Rapids homered in the win and Kearns, Clark, Kelley, Nelson and Maia Abrahamson of Van Meter each doubled.

DMACC scored single runs in the first two innings but TRCC scored one in the first, two in the third and four in the fifth to hand the Bears a 7-2 loss in the opener on March 11. Clark led DMACC with three hits, including a double and an RBI, and Ades had a pair of singles. Freshman Madisyn Kelley of Nora Springs also had a double and drove in the Bears' other run.

Kennedy fell to 4-2 with the loss. She went two and a third innings, allowing three runs on six hits with two strikeouts and two walks. Freshman Grace Bailey of Hamilton went two innings and allowed three runs on three hits with one strikeout and Robertson pitched an inning and two-thirds, allowing one run on two hits and striking out one batter.

Snyder and Kennedy drove in three runs apiece to lead DMACC to a 10-5 win over WVC in the second game on March 11. Snyder and Ades had three hits apiece with each getting two doubles and Ades joined Kearns with two RBIs in the win. Kearns, Salyars and Kennedy had two hits apiece and Kearns drove in two runs.

DMACC led 3-2 after one inning and got the win with two runs in the second, one in the third, three in the fourth and one in the sixth. In addition to its two runs in the first, WVC scored twice in the fourth and added its final run in the fifth.

Freshman Courtney Donahue of Marshfield, Wis., improved to 3-0 with the win. She allowed four runs on seven hits and struck out two batters. Robertson went two innings and allowed one run on three hits with one strikeout and two walks and Bailey pitched one inning, allowing one hit and striking out two batters.

The Bears got a home run, a double and  three RBIs from Clark in beating JC, 9-1, in the opener on March 12. DMACC took a 1-0 lead in the first and padded its advantage with two runs in the third, one in the fourth, three in the sixth and two in the seventh. JC tallied its lone run in the bottom of the seventh.

Campbell Kelley joined Clark with two hits in the game and also drove in three runs and Kearns doubled and drove in two runs.

Kennedy notched her fifth win of the season against two losses behind a seven hitter. She struck out 12 and walked four.

Robertson improved to 4-1 with a two-hitter in DMACC's 10-0, five-inning win over ECC in the second game on March 12. She went the distance and struck out four batters.

Snyder and Nelson paced the Bears at the plate with two RBIs apiece. Ades, Kearns and Abrahamson each doubled and Nelson tripled. Kearns, Clark, Campbell Kelley and Nelson drove in one run apiece.