BOONE — The 15th-ranked Iowa Central softball team dropped a 5-3 decision to second-ranked DMACC, but bounced back for an 11-3 win over Southwestern to set up another showdown with the Bears in the Region XI softball tournament.

The Tritons (40-16 overall) will face DMACC (45-6) at noon. With a victory, Iowa Central will turnaround and play a winner take all contest against the Bears.

“We talked about how that next game is a tough spot,” said Iowa Central head coach Rick Sandquist. “You’re deflated. But we came out and scored five in the first inning and set the tone.

“We always talk about how you want to end it early and we did.”

On Saturday, the Tritons took a 2-0 lead after their half of the first, but the Bears tacked on a run in the first and second.

Then DMACC had a big three-run fifth, helped by a two run homer, giving the Bears a 5-2 lead before the Tritons closed out with a run in the sixth.

“We led that inning off with an error, then they hit a two run homer,” Sandquist said. “We had a chance late in the game to tie it. Cheyenne (Andersen) hit one to the fence.

“It was a good battle, we jumped out to a 2-0 lead.”

Payton Andersen had two RBI and Cheyenne Andersen hit a home run for the Tritons, who had five in the contest.

Against Southwestern, the Tritons pounded out nine hits.

Cheyenne Andersen, Sophie Cave and Payton Andersen had two hits each. Payton had a home run and a double and drove in three runs.

Parker Mathews drove in two runs and Cave scored three runs, while hitting a double.