Sarcone goes deep twice in Central softball sweep
Central College
TUCSON, ARIZ.—It was a noisy start to the Central College softball season Friday as the No. 13-rated Dutch hammered Alfred (N.Y.) 9-1 and Pitt-Bradford (Pa.) 13-0 in a pair of five-inning contests at the Tucson Invitational Games.
In the first inning of the 2012 campaign, catcher Caitlyn Meyer (junior, Newton) belted a 3-run homer to left-center field. On the next pitch, shortstop Annie Sarcone (sophomore, Des Moines, Lincoln HS) followed with a homer of her own to left. Sarcone made it a two-homer game with a two-run shot in the fifth and also had an RBI single in the third.
Central (2-0) racked up 11 hits in the contest as Meyer also went 3-for-3. Pitcher Brie Haycraft (sophomore, Eldridge, North Scott HS) yielded a first-inning run and finished with a six-hitter, with four strikeouts and no walks. Alfred dropped to 4-5.
In the nightcap, Central erupted for nine runs in the fifth inning to finish off Pitt-Bradford (1-10). Freshman third baseman Whitney Sowers (Marshalltown) had three hits and scored two runs.
“She had a great opening day,” coach George Wares said. “She was very solid at third and she handled herself very well at the plate. She’s a competitor and I think as the pitching we face improves, she’ll improve as well.”
Meanwhile freshman designated player Abbey Strajack (Davenport, Assumption HS), left fielder Rachael Everingham (senior, Georgetown, Ill., Georgetown-Ridge Farm HS) and right fielder Emily Te Brink (junior, Le Mars) each had two hits.
Rhianna Fleetwood (junior, Sycamore, Ill.) and freshman Mallory Schulenberg (Kansas City, Mo., St. Pius X HS) combined on a one-hit shutout. Fleetwood walked three and struck out three over four innings. Schulenberg flashed promised with a 1-2-3 fifth inning.
“I was happy with how we played,” Wares said. “I thought our two returning pitchers stepped it up a notch. Our other returning players played the way we hoped they would and our younger players didn’t look like freshmen.”
Wares was happy with his new starters, including senior Kyrie Hale (Lee’s Summit, Mo., West HS), who got the nod at first base after three seasons as a catcher. She had a two-out RBI hit in the second game.
“It was nice to see Kyrie get off to a good start,” Wares said. “She did an adequate job at first base and if she continues to hit like that, that’s going to be a big boost for us. We know she’s capable.”
But Wares knows he can’t read too much into his team’s effort for one day.
“The first two games don’t mean anything unless you follow it up with continued improvement,” he said.
Central and Alfred square off again Saturday at approximately 6 p.m. (7 p.m. Central Time), with an 8 p.m. contest against McKendree (Ill.). McKendree, which opened its season Feb. 18, is 3-6 heading into Saturday’s action in which the Bearcats first take on Coe College at 6 p.m.
An audio webcast of Central’s contest with Alfred will be offered via www.kniakrls.com.
