DMACC Rallies to Two Wins in First World Series in Over a Decade
ENID, Okla. -- DMACC reached their first NJCAA World Series since 2012 after winning the Region 11 Championship and subsequently the District Championship series.
The Bears first played #8 Kellogg (Mich.) in the first round of the 2024 tournament. DMACC had the ICCAC Pitcher of the year Chance Key on the mound to start off their world series. Key uncharacteristically gave up seven runs in the five innings pitched, six of those runs being earned. Key sat down four Kellogg batters via strikeout and gave up a home run.
DMACC scored one run in the top of the first but gave up four in the bottom half of the first innings. They scored four runs in the top of the sixth inning to make the score 7-7.
The game was back to fourth and couldn't be decided in nine innings. With two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning Kellogg hit a single with a runner on second to walk-off the game and send DMACC into the elimination bracket.
In their first elimination game the Bears faced #4 Heartland (Ill.). DMACC came out hot, scoring eight runs in the first three innings. They were helped by Camden Kaufman who hit a two run-home run in the top of the first to get the Bears rolling.
Cael Boever picked up five RBI in the contest as DMACC routed Hartland 16-7. Carter Woollum improved his pitching record to 5-3 after throwing seven innings and picking up four earned runs.
DMACC then faced #12 Westchester (N.Y.) where the Bears JC Dermody allowed just four hits and two walks on the mound. Dermody improved his record to 5-1 on the season for the Bears squad. DMACC would take their third game in six innings winning 10-0 behind nine hits for the Bears offense.
This included a Jaylen Ziegler home run that brought in two runs for the Bears. DMACC drew eight walks in this game to help them move on to the quarterfinals.
With DMACC having to play all the way back into the quarterfinals they now faced #5 St.Johns River State.
Konner Entz took the mound for the Bears where he threw four shutout innings to start the game. However the bats were cold for the Bears to start the game as well, not getting a hit until the bottom of the fourth when Dillion Kuehl singled.
This single was short-lived as DMACC still couldn't drive a run home. It wasn't until top of the fifth when the scoreless game was broken for either team as a SAC fly and a double brought home two runs for St. Johns River State. The Bears got a run back in the sixth when Boever sent a fly ball to center field for a SAC fly, scoring Noah Thein.
DMACC just couldn't get any runs across the plate, an insurance run scored for St. Johns State, making the score 3-1 and it stayed that way until the end.
DMACC finished their season 38-25, the Bears battled close to the finish line but just came up short.
First Round:
#8 Kellogg def. #9 DMACC, 11-10 - Archived Video - Box Score
Elimination Round One:
#9 DMACC def. #4 Heartland, 16-7 - Archived Video - Box Score
Elimination Round Two:
#9 DMACC def. #12 Westchester, 10-0 - Archived Video - Box Score
Quarterfinals:
#5 St. Johns River State def. #9 DMACC, 3-1 - Archived Video - Box Score