Central makes a softball escape for sweep in the Arizona rain
TUCSON, ARIZ.—A soggy ending in an early season softball tussle between ranked teams turned in Central College’s favor Wednesday.
The No. 23-rated Dutch (11-1) came away with a 2-1, five-inning victory over No. 16 Concordia University (Wis.) after earlier toppling Sul Ross State (Texas) 5-3. But like rain in the desert, the finish was a bit out of the ordinary. The last three innings were played in a steady drizzle but the rain intensified during the sixth inning. Concordia led off the frame with a game-tying homer, then scored two more runs for a 4-2 lead. But the umpires called the game before Central could bat in its half of the sixth, so the score reverted to the last completed inning, which ended with the Dutch on top. Concordia (10-1) suffered its first loss of the season.
While there was disappointment the game wasn’t completed, the squads will clash again Friday in a doubleheader.
Concordia took a 1-0 lead in the second with a run scoring on a wild pitch, but Central came back with a two-run third inning. Catcher Madison Farrington (senior, Marshalltown, East Marshall HS) blasted a tying home run, then second baseman Haley Bach (junior, Council Bluffs, Lewis Central HS) singled and scored on a key hit by third baseman Franie Burnett (junior, Ankeny, Centennial HS).
“It was a no-doubt home run, the only question was whether it was going to stay fair,” coach George Wares said. “(Farrington) is pretty confident at the plate right now. And then Franie had a huge hit, obviously, to give us the lead.”
Bach had two hits against Concordia after also having two against Sul Ross State and scored three runs on the day. She’s hitting a team-high .447 for the year.
“Haley has just been on fire,” Wares said. “Even her outs are really good at-bats.”
Huisman (6-0) went five innings, allowing a run on three hits with three walks and three strikeouts.
Against Sul Ross State (Texas), the Dutch mustered just four hits but found ways to scratch out five runs, including a pair by Bach. She singled and scored in her first two plate appearances. Sul Ross State led 2-1 entering the third inning but Central stole three bases, including two by Bach, and got an RBI hit from first baseman Megan Stuhr (junior, Sigourney), stealing two bases in the third. Pinch-runner Mariah Parton (freshman, Ankeny) stole a base and scored on a wild pitch in the fourth inning and left fielder Megan Doty (senior, Grinnell) reached on an error and scored in the sixth inning.
Freshman pitcher Emma Beck (Holland, Grundy Center HS) was charged with two first-inning runs but Morgan Schaben (senior, Harlan) came on to throw 6.1 innings for the win. She allowed a run on five hits with no walks and six strikeouts in improving to 3-1. Beck returned to get the final out in the seventh inning.
“Emma struggled with command a little bit and I took her out way too early,” Wares said. “But Morgan came in and was good. And it was good that Emma could come in and retire the last hitter.”
Central plays its second game against RIT (N.Y.) Thursday at 9 a.m. (11 a.m. Central Time). The Dutch were 13-0 winners in five innings in the teams’ first meeting Saturday. Central then meets Dickinson College (Penn.) at 1:30 p.m.
