Central softball defense comes up big in sweep
Central Dutch Athletics
PELLA—The time-tested formula of pitching, defense and aggressive baserunning translated into an Iowa Conference sweep for the Central College softball team over Loras College Wednesday, 7-2 and 1-0.
Pitcher Annie DeVries (senior, Eldridge, North Scott HS) followed up her two-hit shutout of Simpson College Saturday with a four-hit whitewashing in the nightcap. Center fielder Sara Tallman (sophomore, Pella), who had four hits on the day, scored the game’s only run. She led off the first inning with a walk, stole second and raced home on catcher Emily Walton’s (senior, Cedar Rapids, Jefferson HS) two-out double to the center-field fence.
The No. 23-rated Dutch (18-6 overall, 5-1 conference) committed just one error on the day—on a catcher’s interference call—and stole nine bases, including four by Tallman, who has 24 on the year.
Central, which had eight hits in the opener, mustered just four in the second game.
“That’s the nature of the Iowa Conference,” coach George Wares said. “Give Loras credit, I thought both of their pitchers pitched well. But our defense was over-the-top good today.”
And it was a big defensive play that ended the game. With two outs in the seventh and speedy Savannah Fowler on second base for Loras, the Duhawks’ Hadalyn Anderson singled with Fowler stopping at third base. As Anderson tried to advance, DeVries threw to second base and Fowler attempted to score the tying run, only to be cut down at the plate by second baseman Lauren Bagby’s (junior, Norwalk) throw to Walton.
Tallman, whose average surged to .418, also sparked Central in the first inning of the opener as she and right fielder Shaye Witte (sophomore, West Des Moines, Waukee HS) led off with singles and scored in a three-run frame.
“She’s a catalyst,” Wares said. “In the first inning, she and Shaye just set the table. They’re so capable of doing that. They’re as good of a one-two (in the batting order) as we’ve had in a while. They both can run, they both can handle the bat and they made great defensive plays.”
Central’s first inning was capped by left fielder Tabitha Taylor’s (senior, Grimes, Dallas Center-Grimes HS) steal of home. The Dutch have 68 steals on the season. Loras (13-12 overall, 1-3 conference) got a run in the fourth, but Central broke it open with three runs in the bottom of the fourth, adding another in the fifth.
Loras put up a run off reliever Danielle Riley (junior, Afton, East Union HS) in the seventh before Fritz re-entered to close it out. Fritz (9-4), allowed a run on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts over seven innings.
Witte had two hits in the game while Tallman and second baseman Paige Dickel (senior, Norwalk) each knocked in two runs.
DeVries walked one and fanned two in extending her scoreless innings streak to 13.
“She’s pitching well,” Wares said. “She’s confident. Her screwball is working exceptionally well and she throws the off-speed enough to keep the hitters honest. And she got some really good support defensively.”
Central travels to Storm Lake Thursday for another league twinbill against Buena Vista University. The Beavers are 15-9 overall and 0-4 in the conference after getting swept at home by No. 5-ranked Luther College Wednesday, 6-4 and 5-4. Central won a pair against Buena Vista last year but was swept by the Beavers in 2016, the last time they met in Storm Lake. The Dutch lead the teams’ all-time series, 49-23.
“It’s just another Iowa Conference doubleheader, although you’re looking at a contender so that always makes it bigger,” Wares said. “It’s a long ride and we can make all the excuses we want–it’s a tough place to play and all that–but the last I knew the people on the NCAA softball committee don’t really care about that. We’re confident and so are they. If both teams play well, it could be a fun doubleheader.”
