Seventh-inning fireworks give Central softball title share
Central College
DUBUQUE—Central College’s hopes for an Iowa Conference softball title share appeared to have floated down the Mississippi River Sunday.
But after trailing the upset-minded Univ. of Dubuque (16-21 overall, 4-12 conference) in both games Sunday—and after being down to their final out in the opener–coach George Wares and the Dutch saved their best for last with a seven-run seventh inning for a dramatic 10-6 escape in the first game, and a nine-run seventh frame in a 15-4 triumph in the nightcap.
That let Central tie Luther and gain a share of its 11th conference championship with a 14-2 mark. The No. 5-rated Dutch improved to 33-5 overall. Luther, which handed Central its only league losses April 23, has the advantage in the tiebreaker and will play host to the six-team conference tournament Thursday through Saturday. Central will carry the No. 2 seed and receive a first-round bye in the double-elimination tournament which determines the league’s representative in the NCAA Division III tournament. The Dutch will play at 4 p.m. Thursday against the winner of a noon game between third-seeded Coe and sixth-seeded Cornell.
But the title appeared to be slipping away when Dubuque struck for six runs in the first two innings of Sunday’s opener. A bases-loaded double by pinch-hitter Trysh Shimak (senior, Cedar Rapids, Kennedy HS) in the fifth inning made it 6-3 but that was still the score with one out and no runners on in the Central seventh. Two singles followed by an RBI hit by second baseman Angela Davis (junior, West Des Moines, Valley HS) cut it to 6-4. Then a pair of failed attempts on force plays let the Dutch tie the score. Dubuque’s defense aided the Central cause as the Dutch got their seven runs on four hits and four errors. Center fielder Holly Von Fumetti (junior, Johnston) had two hits in the inning.
“Trysh (Shimak) had a huge hit in the fifth to give us some hope,” Wares said. “And then the seventh inning was just crazy, that’s the only way to describe it.”
Rhianna Fleetwood (sophomore, Sycamore, Ill.), Central’s third pitcher of the game, threw two scoreless innings and got the win, moving to 9-0. Brie Haycraft (freshman, Eldridge, North Scott HS) threw four innings of relief, allowing one earned run on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
On the heels of the comeback, Central took a 3-0 lead in the second inning of the nightcap. Shortstop Annie Sarcone (freshman, Des Moines, Dowling Catholic HS) had an RBI double. But nothing came easy for the Dutch on this day. Dubuque fired back with a grand slam off Kiley Lythberg (senior, Mount Prospect, Ill., Prospect HS).
Central regained the lead with three more tallies in the third. First baseman Katie Tenboer (senior, Morrison, Ill.) had a run-scoring single and catcher Caitlyn Meyer (sophomore, Newton) brought home two runs with a double.
The Dutch didn’t put the game away until erupting for the nine-run seventh inning, cracking nine hits. Sarcone, Von Fumetti,Tenboer and Lythberg each had run-scoring doubles in the inning, while left fielder Bethany Koskamp (senior, Cedar Rapids, Kennedy HS) had a two-run single.
Tenboer broke the school career RBI record of 125 set by Tina Shimak (2004-07) and now has 127. Central pounded out 15 hits in the second game and 27 for the day. Lythberg, Von Fumetti, Meyer and Sarcone each had four hits in the two games.
Lythberg threw six innings of the second game, yielding four runs on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts and improved to 17-4.
“Kiley was sharper in the second game, but our defense let us down,” Wares said. “Brie (Haycraft) gave us some quality innings but Rhianna (Fleetwood) was probably the best of the three today. She was pretty solid.”
Despite the wins, Wares said the Dutch were less than enthused about their performance.
“The tone at the end was disappointment because our bread and butter—pitching and defense—weren’t very good,” he said. “But after it sinks in and they realize we went 14-2 and are co-champs, I think they’ll feel better about it. It’s pretty good to go 14-2 in this league.”
Central closes the regular season Wednesday with a non-conference twinbill against winless Grinnell College at 3 p.m. at the A.N. Kuyper Athletics Complex field, before traveling to Decorah Thursday.
