DCG baseball, softball riding seven-game winning streaks

There were some close calls but the Mustangs stayed perfect this week. (Note: Games covered June 4-10)

Baseball (17-1)

Moving up a rank in the June 10 coaches rankings to No. 3 in Class 4A, the Mustangs have a seven-game win streak on their hands after adding four Little Hawkeye wins to their collection. And for good measure this week, a top-10 win over Southeast Polk, too.

Threatening the win streak on June 5, Norwalk (6-8) took a 1-0 lead into the fifth inning, only for DCG to push Brady Smith and Logan Young across for go-ahead runs at the bottom of the order to collect the win in the pitchers' duel. Cross Brandy allowed just three hits in 5.1 innings while Ty Mikkelsen came in for relief for the rest of the game, keeping the Warriors off the basepaths.

A doubleheader on Friday with Indianola (10-7) continued to threaten DCG’s streak, but the Mustangs pulled away winning both games 2-1. Eli Rupp led the team getting on base on all three at-bats and drove in Dayne Mauk for a run while Taitn Gray punched his state-leading ninth home run in Game 1. Gray and Mauk also scored the team’s two runs in the nightcap to give Mikkelsen the win on the mound.

Mauk and Tate Perrin took Gray’s example and each hit a home run on Monday in a 13-3 win over Newton (4-10). And that wasn’t all Mauk accomplished. He went six innings deep on the mound, striking out eight Cardinals en route to his fourth win of the season. At 4-0, he has yet to lose a game he has started this year. Dating back to his junior year, he is 11-1 in 13 starts.

Softball (13-3)

It was a perfect seven-game slate for the Mustangs this week, getting through some pivotal conference matchups along with a three-game stretch in Creston on Saturday.

Playing at 4A’s top-ranked Norwalk (11-1) on June 3, the Mustangs turned in a clutch 6-3 win over the Warriors after posting three go-ahead runs in the sixth inning to strike first in a tied ballgame.

While the Warriors have the state’s No. 2 home run hitter who helped tie the game by hitting her eighth home run of the season, the Mustangs had an ace up their sleeve with Macee Reiling coming through for two homers. With a round-tripper in a win over Knoxville on Saturday, she now sits third overall with seven home runs to her name.

The Mustangs also notched two ranked wins against Indianola (6-8) on Thursday, sending the Indians home with an 11-7 and 12-8 losses. Aubrey Johansen drove in six runs in Game 2 after going 3-for-3 at the plate, finishing a triple shy of the cycle after she hit her first home run of the season.

DCG then left Creston’s tournament with three wins, taking down 3A’s ninth-ranked Clarinda, Creston and Clarinda.

With a win on Monday against Newton as well, the Mustangs improved to 7-1 in the Little Hawkeye, tied at the top of the standings with Norwalk and one game ahead of Pella (which previously split a doubleheader with DCG).

As of the June 5 rankings, the IGHSAU poll ranked DCG ninth in Class 4A with a 6-3 record.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Dallas Center-Grimes baseball, softball riding seven-game winning streaks