The Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) baseball team won three of four games against Kirkwood Community College (KCC) April 13 and 15 at Cedar Rapids and moved to the top of the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) in the process.

The Bears lost the opener on April 13, 5-3, but rebounded with 12-11, 11-8 and 12-4 victories to improve to 25-11 for the season and 13-3 in the ICCAC. The second game on April 13 was called because of darkness after 10 innings and completed on April 15 before the regularly scheduled doubleheader.

DMACC has a half game lead over Southeastern Community College (SECC) in ICCAC play.

KCC used a three-run rally in the bottom of the fifth inning to win the opener on April 13. DMACC scored single runs in the first, third and fifth innings and had a 3-2 lead before the Eagles rallied for the win.

Sophomore Calen Schwabe of Thompson, N.D., led DMACC's eight-hit attack with a pair of singles and sophomores Austin Murr of Stillwater, Minn., and Evan Salmon of Urbandale drove in one run apiece.

Sophomore Jackson Uner of Maplewood, Minn., pitched the first three and a third innings for the Bears, allowing two runs on two hits. He struck out two and walked five. Freshman Kaden Peterson of Luther pitched two and two-thirds innings and suffered the loss. He allowed three runs on two hits, struck out one and walked one.

DMACC trailed 5-2 after five innings in the second game and rallied for six runs in the top of the sixth to take an 8-5 lead. KCC tied it with three runs in the bottom of the inning and the Bears responded with three more runs in the top of seventh. KCC closed to within 11-10 with two runs in the bottom of the seventh and scored another run in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra innings. DMACC got a run in the top of the 11th to come away with the win.

Murr paced the Bears at the plate with four hits and sophomore Jacob Pinkerton of Beatrice, Neb., and freshman Grant Bohling of Lincoln, Neb., had three hits apiece. Schwabe, Salmon and freshman Carter Troncin of Urbandale had two hits apiece, including a home run by Salmon, who drove in two runs. Troncin led the Bears in RBIs with three and Bohling joined Salmon with two RBIs.

Freshman Logan Ymker of Sioux Falls, S.D., pitched the first three and two-thirds innings for DMACC, allowing three runs on six hits. He struck out three and walked four. Freshman Will Moritz of West Des Moines went an inning and a third, surrendering three runs on one hit and walking one batter. Freshman Nathaniel Gorczyca of Omaha, Neb., pitched two innings and gave up four runs on two hits and walked four batters and freshman Hayden Thomsen of Maple Grove, Minn., went four innings and came away with the win. He allowed one run on two hits, struck out three and walked one.

Sophomores Denver Blinn of West Fargo, N.D., Morgan Holmes of Minneapolis, Minn., Roman Vega of Buffalo, Minn., and Pinkerton had two hits apiece as DMACC took the first regularly scheduled game on April 15. DMACC pulled away from a 1-1 tie with six runs in there top of the third and made it a 7-1 game with a run in the fourth. KCC closed to within 8-7 with a six-run rally in the bottom of the fourth, but DMACC pulled away with a run in the fifth and two in the sixth.

Holmes, who homered, Murr, Troncin and Vega drove in two runs apiece for the Bears.

Sophomore Spencer Hanson of West Des Moines, pitched the first four innings and improved to 5-1 with the win. He allowed seven runs on eight hits, struck out six and walked two. Freshman Garret Reisz of Council Bluffs worked an inning and allowed one run on two hits, struck out two and walked one and sophomore Thomas Bruchu of Stillwater, Minn., went two innings, allowing one hit and striking out two batters.

Murr had three hits and drove in three runs and Schwabe, Holmes and Troncin had two this apiece to lead DMACC in the second game. The Bears trailed 3-0 after two innings, but put the game away with three runs in the third, four in the fourth, four in the fifth and one in the sixth.

Schwabe, Murr and Salmon drove in three runs apiece and Holmes had a pair of RBIs.

Sophomore Henry Ristvedt of Savage, Minn., pitched the first six innings and won his fourth game of the season against one loss. He allowed four run on 11 hits, struck out two and walked one. Bruchu worked one inning and retired all three batters he faced.