—Messenger photo by Britt Kudla Iowa Central’s Payton Andersen throws a runner out at first base against DMACC on Saturday at Rogers Park. For more photos, visit CU at messengernews.net

Two bad innings kept the ninth-ranked Iowa Central softball team from gaining any ground on ICCAC leader and No. 4 Des Moines Area here Saturday at Rogers Park.

The Bears scored 7-5 and 7-4 victories to push their current win streak to six in a row.

Kaisha Wells was the difference in the opener for DMACC (34-5 overall, 17-1 in league), hitting a home run and driving in six runs to overcome Cheyenne Andersen’s two-homer, five-RBI performance for the Tritons (30-11, 11-7).

Andersen tied the school’s single-season record for homers with her two shots at 20, extending her career record to 35.

The Bears plated a run in the first and five more in the fifth, as Iowa Central rallied with four runs in the bottom of the seventh. Josie Swafford worked out of damage inside the circle, striking out 11 without a walk.

“Two bad innings with one in each game was the story of the day,” ICCC head coach Rick Sandquist said. “Good teams take advantage of those kind of openings and this one hurts because we are one of those good teams.

“The league has really closed the gap between everybody and we just have to keep learning and improving for the postseason.”

Gabi Bingham had two hits and Bre Small worked two innings with three strikeouts in relief of Kallie Malloy.

In the nightcap, DMACC plated six runs in the top of the seventh after entering the final frame down 4-1. Iowa Central scored once in the first, twice in the second and one more run in the third before going cold.

Andersen, Bre Tjebben, Sophie Cave and Payton Adwell all drove in a run each. Alex Boyce allowed just two hits and struck out two in five innings for the Tritons.

Cave hit a solo homer, but the Bears had three longballs in the contest courtesy Mia Ruther, Avery Guy and Ally Pickering.

Iowa Central hosts Iowa Lakes on Wednesday and fifth-ranked Kirkwood on Saturday.

DMACC 7, IOWA CENTRAL 5

DMACC 100 051 0 — 7 15 1

Iowa Central 000 001 4 — 5 7 1

WP–Josie Swafford (7 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 11 K, 0 BB). LP–Kallie Malloy (5 IP, 11 H, 5 ER, 4 K, 0 BB).

HR–D: Kaisha Wells; ICCC: Cheyenne Andersen (2). RBI–D: Kaisha Wells (6); ICCC: Cheyenne Andersen (5). SB–D: Avery Guy.

DMACC 7, IOWA CENTRAL 4

DMACC 000 100 6 — 7 8 3

Iowa Central 121 000 0 — 4 9 3

WP–Dana Dunbar (3• IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 K, 1 BB). LP–Bre Tjebben (2 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 K, 0 BB).

HR–D: Mia Ruther, Avery Guy, Ally Pickering; ICCC: Sophie Cave. 2B–ICCC: Alexis Morrison. RBI–D: Mia Ruther, Avery Guy, Ally Pickering (2); ICCC: Cheyenne Andersen, Bre Tjebben, Sophie Cave, Payton Adwell. SB–ICCC: Gabi Bingham, Jenna Peschel, Cheyenne Andersen.