Central defense improves, offense shines in softball sweep

Central College

Central College

PELLA — Getting the kind of defensive play it’s been searching for, the Central College softball team posted a much-needed sweep on a wind-swept Sunday, rallying past St. Norbert (Wis.) 6-4 and overpowering St. Scholastica (Minn.) 9-1 in six innings.

Second baseman Abbey Strajack (senior, Davenport, Assumption HS) had six hits and scored four runs to spark the No. 19-ranked Dutch (19-6), who posted a 5-1 mark in the three-day Central-Simpson Invitational.

Searching for some answers after enduring continued defensive struggles, coach George Wares made some lineup changes, although not altogether by choice, but the result was an errorless afternoon, despite winds that gusted to 30 mph. Starting center fielder Paige Heesch (senior, Titonka, WCLT HS) and catcher Katie Canney (senior, Adel, ADM HS) were both not in uniform after sustaining injuries earlier in the weekend. Tabitha Taylor (freshman, Grimes, Dallas Center HS) again took over in center while Emily Walton (freshman, Cedar Rapids, Jefferson HS) got the start at catcher. And, looking for a defensive upgrade, Wares also inserted Brooke Brommel (freshman, St. Charles, I-35 HS) in left field and Shannon Coulson (senior, Bondurant, Bondurant-Farrar HS) in right. He liked what they showed.

“I thought the response was good,” Wares said. “We had one inning against St. Norbert where (pitcher) Trisha Smith (junior, New Hampton) got behind a few hitters but she recovered well and in the second game, I thought we were solid. St. Scholastica has had a few nice wins and is going to do well, but we had 18 outs against them with no errors. I’m happy with the win, but more importantly, I’m happy with how we won. Hopefully that will give us a little boost as we head into the Iowa Conference season.”

Brommel and Coulson provided what was needed.

“Shannon made a couple of very nice plays in the outfield and Brooke is getting better and better,” he said.

There was improvement in the infield as well.

“The infield played really well,” Wares said. “They made some solid plays. I thought (first baseman) Kaitlyn Matzen (senior, Manly, Central Springs HS) played as well as she ever has defensively. Even on the balls she didn’t field cleanly, she stayed with it and got the outs.”

Walton is considered a promising defensive catcher but also provided an offensive lift with two hits, including her first collegiate home run, two walks, three runs scored and three RBIs. And Brommel ripped a pair of doubles with three RBIs in the win over St. Norbert (5-9).

“I was very happy with how Emily performed,” Wares said. “Obviously we’d like to have Katie (Canney) back as soon as we can but I thought Emily definitely stepped up.”

Wares also praised Sarah Bowen (sophomore, New Sharon, North Mahaska HS) and Abbie Voas (sophomore, Chanhassen, Minn.), who had numerous previous starts in the outfield, for their play off the bench Sunday. Bowen delivered a big pinch hit and scored to spark Central’s winning sixth-inning rally against St. Norbert and Voas had two hits and a walk in three plate appearances on the day.

“Sarah gave us a big lift and Abbie also made a catch in left field that was more difficult than the one she didn’t make yesterday,” Wares said.

Freshman pitcher Annie DeVries (Eldridge, North Scott HS) raised her record to 2-1 with two innings of scoreless relief in the opener. She gave up three hits with no walks or strikeouts. Smith threw the first five innings, allowing four runs on four hits with four walks and two strikeouts.

Mallory Schulenberg (senior, Kansas City, Mo., St. Piux X HS) fired a two-hitter against St. Scholastica (6-10). Schulenberg (7-4), gave up one run with three walks and no strikeouts.

Central had 22 hits on the day. Rock had three hits and shortstop Paige Schreiner (junior, Ottumwa) had two against St. Scholastica while Taylor had two hits against St. Norbert. Strajack upped her season average to a team-high .463, with 38 hits, 29 runs scored and 17 stolen bases in 25 games. She batted .476 for the weekend with eight runs scored and five RBIs.

The Dutch must quickly shift gears into Iowa Conference mode, opening play in one of the nation’s top Division III softball leagues with a key twinbill Tuesday at 3 p.m. against No. 10 Simpson College (21-3) at Indianola.

“Here we go,” Wares said. “The league is going to be interesting. Obviously, Simpson is a legitimate contender. They’ve got a number of big wins already. It’s going to be a race.”

And there’s seldom a moment to breathe easily in league play.

“It’s a coaches’ cliché but we just have to go one pitch at a time, get as many wins as we can and see where that puts us,” Wares said.

Posted by on Mar 30 2015. Filed under College Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

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