It was a special day for six members of the Iowa Central softball team here Saturday. 

Sophomores Sydney Vogel, Carlie Thompson, Mikhaela Muir, Loghen Schnetzer, Mady Lange and Mackenzie Crampton were all honored during a doubleheader at Rogers Park with third-ranked Des Moines Area. 

The Bears earned a sweep on the diamond by scores of 16-5 and 17-7. 

"With everything these girls had to go through last year with COVID during their first college year," Iowa Central head coach Bo Tjebben said. "I'm just so proud of them. They dealt with a lot of adversity on the field, in the classroom and just in terms of being college student-athletes. 

"But they continued to work. They continued to make not only themselves into the very best softball players they could be, but the very best people. And that is what we are trying to do within this program: build tremendous student-athletes who will go on and do even bigger things."

Crampton got the start in the opener, as Schnetzer recorded two hits. Thompson drove in two, Muir had a run scored and an RBI, and Lange scored a run. 

Freshman Riley Gilroy was 3-for-3 with a run scored, while classmate Olivia Harmon had a run, an RBI and a hit from the leadoff spot. Gilroy and Jori Hajek, who also scored a run, each stole a base. 

Muir started the series finale inside the circle. Lange drove in two, Thompson had a hit and a run scored, Schnetzer scored a run and Vogel drew a walk. 

"It obviously wasn't the way we wanted to honor the sophomores, but we gave it everything we had," Tjebben said. "DMACC is a very good team and after keeping them in-check on Friday, they took advantage of things (on Saturday)."

Gilroy was 2-for-2 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored, Amber McKinney drove in three and Sydney Ballard had an RBI. 

The Tritons host Southwestern on Tuesday at 2 p.m. for a doubleheader.

-By Dana Becker