Dutch softball hurlers silence foes in Arizona
TUCSON, ARIZONA—It took just one day on the Central College softball team’s trip to the Tucson (Ariz.) Invitational Games for further evidence of a major upgrade for the squad in the pitching circle this year.
Restored health for Sydni Huisman (junior, Treynor) and Morgan Schaben (senior, Portsmouth) combined with the addition of freshman Emma Beck (Holland, Grundy Center HS) to bolster the Dutch after a disappointing 2022 season and all three sparkled in a two-game sweep Friday. Central (5-1) blanked Bethany Lutheran College (Minn.) 1-0 and shut down RPI (N.Y.) 4-1.
Huisman threw 4.1 innings of one-hit ball against Bethany Lutheran, giving up three walks and fanning seven to improve to 3-0 after major off-season surgery. Schaben surrendered only a hit over 2.2 innings while striking out two to pick up her second save. Then, as temperatures pushed 80 degrees in the windless Arizona desert, Beck notched her first collegiate win. She threw 6.0 innings, allowing a run on a hit and four walks while striking out seven. Schaben threw a perfect seventh inning.
“That’s kind of what this team wants to be,” said veteran coach George Wares.
“If you look at our total package of five games, the pitching and the defense have been pretty consistent and our running game has been consistent. Now if we go from a three to a four or five with our hitting, we’ll be that much better.”
Wares also likes the flexibility his pitchers provide.
“All three are throwing well, as long as that keeps up, we’ll be fine,” he said. “I think they’re all fine starting or coming in and don’t get upset when they get taken out. We’ll definitely need all three.”
The Dutch offense is still finding its way. Central won the opener against Bethany Lutheran (5-10) without an RBI, mustering five hits and a walk for the game. But as usual, when runs are scarce, the Dutch turned to their short game. After a fourth-inning rally appeared to fizzle following a double play, third baseman Franie Burnett (junior, Ankeny, Centennial HS) beat out a bunt single, moved to second on a hit by first baseman Megan Stuhr (junior, Ankeny), stole third and raced home when the throw went into left field.
Central found a bit more production against RPI (1-4), striking for single tallies in four consecutive innings. Left fielder Megan Doty (senior, Grinnell) singled and scored twice while designated player Emma Lenox (sophomore, Fremont, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont HS) was 2-for-2. Freshman Mariah Parton (Ankeny), sidelined by injury in the preseason, made her debut Friday and singled in her first collegiate at-bat.
The day’s biggest blemish was left by three Central errors, although Wares noted that, with the exception of a brief outdoor practice in Pella on a 35-degree day last week, it was the team’s first action on a dirt infield for the season.
“We love it out here (in Arizona) but the fields are a little harder and you’ve got to adjust to that,” Wares said. “But probably the most encouraging things were our responses to our mistakes and our responses to not being able to score when we got doubled up. It looked like the inning was over, but then Franie (Burnett) gets the bunt single and then the hit by Stuhr. So we’ve been able to have some failures and bounce back.”
Wares singled out sophomore Emma Jensen (Earlham) for her play in right field as she made a couple of running catches as well as a dive to snare another ball.
“She made some really, really nice plays in right field,” he said.
The 12-game, eight-day trip continues Saturday as Central takes on RIT (N.Y.) at 1:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m. Central Time) and Concordia University (Wis.) at 3:30 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on KRLS-FM (92.1) with the Voice of the Dutch, Trevor Castle. The broadcasts can also be accessed via kniakrls.com.
“I like where we are and the players are feeling good, and yet, they’re also saying, ‘Yeah, we’re 5-1 but there’s a whole lot of growth that we can still accomplish,” Wares said.
