Central picks up two more softball wins in Missouri
Central College
ST. LOUIS, MO.— The No. 8 Central College softball team struck for three runs in the fifth inning to overcome Fontbonne University (Mo.) 3-1 before racing past Concordia (Ill.) 11-0 in six innings Saturday.
The Dutch (16-2) missed a pair of early scoring chances against Fontbonne, loading the bases with no outs in the second inning and putting runners on second and third with one out in the fourth, yet came up empty.
But in the fifth, a single by center fielder Holly Von Fumetti (senior, Johnston) and a double by second baseman Angela Davis (senior, West Des Moines, Valley HS) were followed by a game-tying single by designated player Abbey Strajack (freshman, Davenport, Assumption HS), a sacrifice fly by third baseman Whitney Sowers (freshman, Marshalltown) and a passed ball.
Brie Haycraft (sophomore, Eldridge, North Scott HS) pitched 4.2 innings, yielding only an unearned run in raising her record to 5-1. Rhianna Fleetwood (junior, Sycamore, Ill.) threw 2.1 scoreless frames to record her first save.
Strajack and shortstop Annie Sarcone (sophomore, Des Moines, Dowling Catholic HS) each had two hits. Left fielder Rachael Everingham (senior, Georgetown, Ill., Georgetown-Ridge Farm HS) had a single and two walks.
In the nightcap, freshman Mallory Schulenberg (Kansas City, Mo., St. Pius X HS) fired a three-hitter for her third shutout, raising her record to 6-0. She walked two and struck out six in six innings.
Central pounded out 13 hits, including two by third baseman Jordan Overland (sophomore, Madrid, Boone HS). She drove in four runs with a single and a double. First baseman Kyrie Hale (senior, Lee’s Summit, Mo., West HS) and Strajack also had two hits. Davis tripled and scored three runs and the Dutch stole seven bases, including a career-high three by Von Fumetti. Reserve catcher Jess Edler (senior, Clarence, North Cedar HS) narrowly missed her first collegiate home run, doubling off the center-field fence.
“We played pretty well against Fontbonne and continued that against Concordia,” coach George Wares said. “Against Fontbonne, Brie (Haycraft) and Rhianna (Fleetwood) were ahead in the count pretty much all day. Mallory (Schulenberg) was a little erratic at times but she was throwing with as much velocity as she has all year and was able to throw it by people. They never really threatened that much against her.”
Sunday at 9:30 a.m. at St. Louis, Central takes on Augustana (Ill.), which knocked off Washington-St. Louis (Mo.) Saturday, 3-2 in eight innings. The Dutch then face Fontbonne (Mo.) again at St. Ann at 1 p.m.
“It was good to get two wins because tomorrow is going to be a more difficult day,” Wares said. “Augustana is playing very well and Fontbonne has had some good wins.”
