
No. 1 DMACC sweeps No. 2 Kirkwood
It was supposed to be a showdown for bragging rights in junior college softball, but top-ranked DMACC was too good for the second-ranked Kirkwood Eagles Wednesday afternoon.
The Bears swept the Eagles, 6-0 and 9-7, to grab a two-game lead in the ICCAC conference standings and solidify their hold on the No. 1 ranking in the NJCAA Division II poll.
"They're good," said Kirkwood Coach Joe Yegge in admiration. "They're the best team in the nation."
DMACC raised its impeccable records to 26-0 overall and 8-0 in the conference. Kirkwood fell to 29-5 overall and 6-2 in the league.
Molly Jacobsen, a junior college All-American for the Bears in 2017, tossed a two-hitter against Kirkwood in the opener and retired the last 15 batters in a row. She changed speeds all game with a sizzling fastball and mesmerizing change-up.
Jacobsen began the day with a microscopic 0.10 earned run average, having allowed just one earned run in 67 innings with 142 strikeouts. Once the first game was over, her ERA was even lower at 0.09 with 149 K's in 74 innings.
Kirkwood began the day with a .391 team batting average and was averaging 9.4 runs per game, but Jacobsen (12-0) tamed the Eagles and handed them their first shutout of the year.
"She proved today that she's the best in the nation," said Yegge. "She's it. She's good. She's got all the tools. Read more...