The Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) softball team saw its season come to a close after dropping back-to-back games to LSU-Eunice (LSUE) and Kankakee Community College (KCC) May 18 in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Softball Championship at Clinton, Miss.

LSUE, the defending national champion, scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth to hand DMACC a 3-2 loss in a second-round game in the championship bracket of the double-elimination tournament and KCC came away with a 9-4 decision in an elimination game. The losses eliminated the Bears from tournament play. DMACC closed the season at 47-9 and a fifth-place ranking in the most recent Division II poll from the NJCAA.

DMACC led LSUE 2-0 after getting a run in the top of the first and adding a run in the top of the fifth. LSUE made it a 2-1 game with a run in the bottom of the fifth before scoring twice in the sixth to come away with the win.

Sophomore Claire Dudek of Urbandale and freshman Bre Hunter of Boone led DMACC's seven-hit attack with two hits apiece, including a double by Dudek. Sophomores Kerigan Torres of Des Moines and Kenzi Sutton of Adel and freshman Molly Jacobsen of Adel had one hit apiece and Sutton drove in both DMACC runs.

Jacobsen allowed three runs on six hits and fell to 25-4 with the loss. She struck out seven batters and walked four.

Sutton and freshman Bailey Richards of Des Moines homered in DMACC's loss to KCC. The Bears trailed 4-1 after three innings but scored a pair of runs in the top of the fourth to make it a 4-3 game. After KCC scored twice in the bottom of the fifth to take a 6-3 lead, DMACC closed to within 6-4 with a run in the top of the sixth. KCC then added three runs in the bottom of the inning to come away with the win.

Dudek had two hits in the loss with freshman Abby Gehringer of Indianola, Sutton, Hunter, sophomore Taylor Creason of Lee's Summit, Mo., and Richards getting one hit apiece. Sutton drove in two DMACC runs and Creason and Richards had one RBI apiece.

Sophomore Ashley Sicard of Ackley pitched the first three innings for DMACC and suffered the loss. She allowed four runs on seven hits, struck out one and walked one. Freshman Autumn McDanel of Moravia pitched two innings, allowing two runs on two hits and striking out one batter. Freshman Molly Jacobsen of Adel pitched one inning, allowing three runs on four hits with three strikeouts.