Central softball defense sparkles in sweep

PELLA—The difference was defense as the Central College softball team overcame a sputtering offensive start and swept Buena Vista University 9-5 and 4-1 Thursday.

The Dutch (17-10 overall, 15-8 American Rivers) not only played errorless ball but dazzled defensively at times. Held scoreless in the first four innings of the opener, Central jumped on a pair of Buena Vista errors to roll up six runs on just two hits in the fifth inning and added three runs in the sixth before holding off a late BV surge.

“Our defense has been pretty solid,” coach George Wares said.

Senior Denae Howes (Denver, Colo., Arvada HS) entered as a pinch-runner in the fifth inning, stole second and scored but Central batted around and coach George Wares left her in the lineup to hit while still in the fifth. It was just the second at-bat of the season for Howes, but she roped a line drive just beyond the grasp of the Buena Vista shortstop for a two-run hit to highlight the frame, along with a well-placed two-run single by Dutch shortstop Daria Parchert (senior, Illinois City, Ill., Rockridge HS) who shortened up and punched a two-strike pitch through the right side.

Wares said Parchert is starting to perk up offensively after an injury-plagued season.

“She’s had so many at-bats taken away this year (by injury) and obviously not having a spring trip as well but she’s getting there,” he said.

But defense was Wares’ focus and no one plays it better than Parchert, who added some more candidates for the highlight tape, including an eye-popping grab on a sizzling liner to her right that she nabbed on a lunge while her knees skidded through the dirt. She then nearly doubled a runner off first base.

“She’s unmatched defensively,” Wares said. “She just makes plays. She’s quick and she knows where to go. She’s the kind of player that could get charged with some errors just because she gets to so many balls a lot of other players can’t get to.”

A single to left by pitcher Morgan Schaben (sophomore, Portsmouth, Harlan HS) brought home one of three Central runs in the sixth.

The team’s leading hitter, freshman Franie Burnett (Ankeny, Centennial HS) continued to thrive while operating out of the clean-up spot in the lineup, with two hits and a walk as Central outhit Buena Vista 10-6. She shined defensively as well.

Starter Sydni Huisman (sophomore, Treynor) had Buena Vista (15-19 overall, 7-15 conference) shut out through five innings but three Central relievers gave up five runs on four hits in the sixth and seventh before Huisman returned to record the final three outs. She threw 6.0 innings of two-hit shutout ball, walking three and striking out three.

Central was outhit 6-5 in the nightcap but made the most of three more Buena Vista errors. Schaben (5-3) scattered six hits over 6.0 innings, walking four and striking out four.

“I was really happy with the way she threw,” Wares said. “I think that’s probably the most pitches she’s thrown since she’s been here. She had really good command of her screwball and that makes the change-up that much better.”

Skylar Sadler (sophomore, Lisbon) rebounded from a rocky opening-game relief effort to retire the Beavers in order in the seventh inning and notch her second save.

“(The first game) was kind of a perfect storm in a bad way for her, because her curve ball kind of hung over the outside and got up into the wind (to right field) and that was the only place it carried out today,” Wares said. “But it was good for her to close it like she did.”

Center fielder Sara Tallman (senior, Pella) walked and scored in the first, then delivered an RBI single in the third and scored in a three-run frame. She scored four runs on the day and was rock-solid defensively as well.

In what has been an unusually demanding year in so many ways, the Dutch have to navigate yet another schedule twist on Friday. A non-conference doubleheader with 25-7 Bethel University (Minn.), originally scheduled for Pella, had to be switched to St. Paul, Minnesota due to travel restrictions in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. So the Dutch make the quick turnaround for a 2 p.m. twinbill before returning home for the league finale with Buena Vista Sunday at 1 p.m.

“Once Bethel told us they couldn’t come here, we talked to our seniors and explained it to them,” Wares said. “They wanted to play. It’ll be a challenge. It will be good to play. I’m really impressed with what that league has done but there have been so few non-conference match-ups this year, it will be interesting to see.

“It’s been so long since we’ve played anyone outside of the conference so that will be kind of fun, too, to see where we are and give our seniors another chance to play.”