Lythberg, Central puts away St. Scholastica
Central College
EAU CLAIRE, WIS.—Senior Kiley Lythberg (Mount Prospect, Ill., Prospect HS) fanned a career-best 14 batters Friday, as the No. 5 Central College softball team edged St. Scholastica (Minn.) 3-2 before outslugging the Saints 10-2 in five innings.
Lythberg improved to 9-1, tossing the complete game while scattering six hits and walking one. St. Scholastica (6-9) ace Darcy Roach allowed just six hits as well, maintaining a 2-1 lead until the fifth inning.
Roach hit right fielder Emily Te Brink (senior, Cedar Rapids, Kennedy HS) who stole second before advancing to third off a single from center fielder Holly Von Fumetti (center field, junior, Johnston). Te Brink scored the tying run on an error. Central snagged the lead in the sixth inning when second baseman Angela Davis (junior, West Des Moines, Valley HS) blasted a double to right field. She advanced on a ground out and scored on a sacrifice fly from Lythberg.
“St. Scholastica’s strength is the pitcher we saw in game one,” coach George Wares said. “She had us off-balance most of the game but we finally got key base hits. Kiley improved as the game went on.”
Lythberg gave up one hit and struck out five in the last three innings.
Freshman Brie Haycraft (Eldridge, North Scott HS) also improved as the game went on in the nightcap. Haycraft gave up a leadoff home run, her first home run of the season, on her first pitch. But she stayed relaxed and went on to strikeout five, allowing four hits and one walk in four innings. Rhianna Fleetwood (sophomore, Sycamore, Ill.) threw the fifth inning and struck out two.
“Once Brie settled down after the first pitch home run, things went smooth and we jumped on them,” Wares said.
Central posted three runs in the first inning before racking up five in the second. The Dutch added their final two tallies in the fifth.
Catcher Caitlyn Meyer (sophomore, Newton), shortstop Annie Sarcone (freshman, Des Moines, Dowling Catholic HS) and left fielder Bethany Koskamp (senior, Cedar Rapids, Kennedy) each had two hits. Meyers scored once and drove in four runs while Sarcone homered, scoring three runs. Koskamp crossed the plate twice.
Central outhit St. Scholastica 10-4. With no errors on the day, Central has committed just one error in the last six games.
“It’s encouraging,” Wares said. “We need to continue that tomorrow against Wis.-Eau Claire. They hit well and we don’t want to give them any extra outs.”
The Dutch meet Wis.-Eau Claire at noon Saturday. The Blugolds are 16-4 overall. Central, improving to 22-2 with a 22 game win streak, holds a 12-1 advantage in the all-time series.
“Eau Claire will be a contender in the Wisconsin Conference,” Wares said. “We beat them three times last year but it’ll be a tough matchup and a good challenge.”
