DMACC softball sweeps Spartans

The ninth-ranked DMACC softball team took two from Southwestern on a wind-swept Spartan field Thursday afternoon, 16-0 and 12-1.

Improving to 24-7 for the season, Bears pitchers Kierra Jungers and Jacki Bass allowed a total of four Southwestern hits in their 10 innings of work. Meanwhile, the Bears offense kept the basepaths busy with a combined 18 hits and 19 bases on balls in the doubleheader.

Spartan pitcher Matea Warren of Calgary, Alberta (Canada) yielded only two earned runs in the nightcap, but DMACC took advantage of extended innings with six Spartan errors.

Southwestern fell to 7-23 before beginning ICCAC Division I conference play over the weekend at Southeastern and Indian Hills. Southeastern swept Saturday’s doubleheader, 1-0 and 13-0.

In Thursday’s opener, Southwestern stayed within striking distance, trailing 6-0 after four innings. A 10-run seventh by the Bears made it the 16-0 final as relief pitcher Brooklyn Baumgardner shut down the Spartans in order in the final inning.

Center fielder Clara O’Brien of Wayne High School had one of three Spartan hits and a stolen base. Emma Moore and Brianna Mitchell had the other hits.

Eight Spartan errors hampered the effort of starting pitcher Monserrat Velarde of El Paso, Texas. Velarde yielded six earned runs with 12 hits allowed and 12 walks. Warren finished in the circle in the seventh. Jungers fanned 12 and and walked three in earning the win for DMACC.

O’Brien had two of Southwestern’s four hits in the second game. Second baseman Joslyn Policky of Blair, Nebraska drove in a run with a hit. Center fielder Sydney Cain of Chariton had a hit and walk in the leadoff spot.

League openers

It was another cool, windy day for Saturday’s league opening doubleheader on the Southeastern campus in West Burlington.

Sophomore pitcher Bailey Hosbach of Marionville, Missouri, had a strong pitching outing in a 1-0 loss to open Saturday’s action. Hosbach allowed five hits with one strikeout and no walks in six innings.

Catcher Ava Kovarna and Laura Lippincott had Southwestern’s only two hits against Southeastern pitcher Araceli Rivas, who finished with eight strikeouts.

Southeastern peppered the Spartan defense for 13 runs in the first three innings in the 13-0 second game win. Southwestern shortstop Emma Moore, who pitched in high school in Ellsworth, Kansas, got the pitching start for the Spartans and was relieved after two innings by Velarde. Through two innings Velarde allowed only one earned run and four this.

Brianna Mitchell and Hannah Hackmann had Southwestern’s only hits against Southeastern pitchers Tatum Goerdt and Savanah Hauger.

The Spartans had two more league contest Sunday at Indian Hills, with the Warriors hanging on to take the opener, 10-9. Indian Hills completed the sweep with a 10-2 win. Southwestern continues the road swing Friday in Council Bluffs to take on 24th-ranked Iowa Western.