Central softball 24-hit barrage yields split
Central College
TUCSON, ARIZ.—Timing was everything Saturday and the Central College softball team’s was bad in a season-opening 3-2 setback against Suffolk University (Mass.) before the Dutch rebounded with a 12-3 five-inning rout of Wis.-Platteville.
Central (1-1) pounded out 24 hits in the two contests but failed to deliver a knockout blow against Suffolk (1-0), despite outhitting the Rams 9-4. Pitcher Karly Olson (senior, Winterset) sparkled for six of the seven frames, setting down 18 batters in order. But Suffolk bunched four hits in the fourth inning for all of its runs.
“It was like so many games last year,” coach George Wares said. “We were up a run and had two or three chances to make it 2-0 or 3-0 and that would have sealed it, but we didn’t get it done.”
The Dutch did come through in the clutch in the first inning as transfer shortstop Emily Wilson (sophomore, Bondurant, Bondurant-Farrar HS) and left fielder Tabitha Taylor (junior, Grimes, Dallas Center-Grimes HS) rifled back-to-back two-out doubles for a 1-0 lead. But Central left the bases loaded in the second inning. Second baseman Paige Dickel (junior, Norwalk) generated a fourth-inning tally with a single and two stolen bases, racing home on a throwing error on her second theft.
But Central couldn’t get the tying run home in the seventh after again loading the bases with one out. Freshman speedster Sara Tallman (Pella) nearly got it done with a daring two-out theft attempt of home but a close call at the plate went against Central and ended the game.
“I felt good about what happened in the seventh,” Wares said. “We feel like that is something we can utilize. We’ve worked with different players on that and thought we had a chance. Obviously we felt that the risk/reward was at least 50/50 or we weren’t going to try it.”
Olson yielded three runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and no walks. The latter stat was especially welcome as Wares made it a point of emphasis for his hurlers this year.
“In the fourth against two of their better hitters she went to the wrong part of the zone and, give Suffolk credit, they hit it,” he said. “But otherwise she threw really well.”
Taylor had two of Central’s nine hits.
Annie DeVries (junior, Eldridge, North Scott HS) was tagged for a first-inning run against Wis.-Platteville, but Central answered swiftly with four runs and broke it open with five more in the second, another in the third and two more in the fourth.
The Dutch, who are already without starting catcher Emily Walton (junior, Cedar Rapids, Jefferson HS), who is out for the season with injury, are also missing all-Iowa Conference third baseman Lauren Bagby (sophomore, Norwalk). Wares hopes to have her back for the second half of Central’s Arizona trip. But filling in nicely Saturday was freshman Amanda Sigulas (Morton, Ill.), normally a catcher. She had four hits and was 3-for-3 against Wis.-Platteville, as was Taylor, who had five hits on the day, and Dickel.
“Amanda played very well at third base,” Wares said. “After last fall, we all thought she would contribute. She’s pretty poised for a freshman and handles the bat pretty well.”
Wilson, who doubled in her first Central at-bat, is a welcome addition to the Dutch lineup.
“She’s going to play a very good shortstop for us and she obviously swings the bat well,” Wares said.
DeVries (1-0) gave up two earned runs on six hits in five innings with seven strikeouts and no walks.
“Annie threw well,” Wares said. “Her screwball was as good as it’s ever been in her career. We wanted to see good outings from both of our pitchers and over 12 innings we probably had 10 very good ones. We hope to get that out of Mariah Fritz (sophomore, Tama, East Marshall HS) tomorrow.”
Fritz, a transfer, will likely throw Sunday’s second game, a 1 p.m. (Central Daylight Time) contest with Division II Minn.-Crookston. The Golden Eagles are already 4-7 but will be playing their first outdoor game of the season. The Dutch open with an 11 a.m. contest with Stevens Institute of Technology (N.J.). Stevens is 2-0 after sweeping a doubleheader Wednesday from Fairleigh Dickinson-Florham (N.J.) and was 23-17 last spring.
“Stevens is really solid,” Wares said. “Their league is really good right now and they’re picked third.”
The Minn.-Crookston game won’t affect Central’s NCAA tourney hopes since it’s not a Division III opponent.
“If there’s a game where we need to rest someone, that would be one,” Wares said. “We still want to win but we’re not going to be stupid about playing someone we don’t need to.”
