Central walks it off with 3-run 7th for softball split

PELLA—The Central College softball team’s chances were fading as rapidly as the daylight Friday when the Dutch erupted for three seventh-inning runs and an improbable 8-7 walk-off victory for a doubleheader split with Wartburg College in a battle for the American Rivers lead.

Shortstop Cassie Severson (junior, Ankeny, Centennial HS) singled to load the bases and later raced home with the game-winner on an errant throw to the plate, restoring a percentage-points lead in the conference race for the surprising Dutch (17-11 overall, 5-3 conference).

Wartburg (20-10 overall, 7-5 conference) hung on for an 8-7 win in the opener and appeared to be taking firm command of the conference title race by bolting to a 6-0 second-inning lead in the second game.

But Emma Neu (junior, Rochelle Park, N.J., Hackensack HS) came out of the bullpen to limit Wartburg to one run over the last 4.2 innings, allowing five hits and a walk while striking out one.

Meanwhile, Central chipped away with a run in the third and four in the fourth. But the Dutch put runners at second and third with one out in the fifth inning and came up empty, then Wartburg added an insurance tally in the top of the sixth inning.

The bases were empty and Wartburg was within two outs of a sweep in the seventh inning. But with darkness descending, Central used a walk and two hits to load the bases. Then Madison Farrington’s (junior, Marshalltown, East Marshall HS) shot to third base was misplayed and two runs scored to tie the game. Severson tried to race home on a Carson Fisk (junior, Searsboro, Lynnville-Sully HS) sharply hit grounder to the pitcher and she slid home safely after an errant throw for the seventh-inning stunner.

With Central trailing 6-0, even coach George Wares was less focused on a victory than his team’s effort.

“We called timeout and it was all positive,” he said. “I said, I don’t know if we’re going to win the game or not, but we need to win a couple of innings. And, you know, they responded. As a group, they just came back and came back and came back and, the next thing you know, we’re walking it off.”

But Central wouldn’t have had a chance for the late theatrics without Neu, pitching in relief of Sydni Huisman (junior, Treynor), who is gamely attempting to pitch through a significant injury. Huisman was tagged for six runs on seven hits over 2.1 innings although all six runs were unearned.

“Emma was the player of the game just for her to do that,” Wares said. “We got hit pretty hard but then she came in and we said, ‘Hey, Emma, this is your shot.’ I think we were down 6-1 when she came in and we said, just show us you can get us through a stretch of innings. She just kept doing it and doing it and she got support from her teammates. So, yeah, that’s the difference. Without her we don’t win the game.”

Wares initially thought Central’s best shot to win Friday was in the opener. The lead changed hands five times but a 4-run sixth inning carried Wartburg. Morgan Schaben (junior, Portsmouth, Harlan HS) needed 111 pitches to get through 5.0 innings, allowing six earned runs on seven hits to drop to 11-8. Neu allowed a run on two hits over the final two frames.

Wartburg outhit Central on the day 25-20. Each team stole six bases. But the Knights committed six errors to Central’s five. That’s largely the result of the speed each team possesses on offense, Wares said.

“They made us look that way,” he said. “They put pressure on us. They made us rush throws and we sometimes weren’t where we needed to be because they just go. They were really impressive offensively.”

But similarly, it was Central putting on the pressure in the final inning of the second game when Wartburg suffered defensive letdowns.

Few are applying the pressure better than Dutch center fielder Emma Johnson (junior, Davenport, Assumption HS). She had four hits, a walk, scored three runs, drove in two and stole a base as her team-high batting average climbed still higher to .483.

“She’s playing at an all-American level,” Wares said. “She’s just reading the defense well and she’s getting out of the box so well. And then the catch she made in the outfield to prevent more runs from scoring was huge. Normally when you have bases-loaded with a slapper up, you probably pinch-hit, but Emma is just so good at putting the ball in play and making things happen.”

Left fielder Megan Doty (junior, Grinnell) had three hits on the day and scored two runs. Fisk also scored three runs and had a pair of hits.

Wartburg has an edge in the conference race because of already playing 12 league games but Central’s comeback leaves just about every squad in the league with a chance. Five teams are at .500 in conference play and within two games of Central and Wartburg.

“I’ve been in this league a long time and it’s probably, top to bottom, as balanced as it’s been,” Wares said. “It’s fun but it’s also taxing. You don’t have a whole lot of margin for error.”

Central has a treacherous path ahead with four league doubleheaders remaining, including just one at home. A pivotal trip is up next as Central travels to Lincoln, Nebraska to take on Nebraska Wesleyan (13-8 overall, 1-3 conference) Tuesday in a 3 p.m. twinbill, then heads to Storm Lake Wednesday for a 5 p.m. make-up doubleheader with Buena Vista University (20-10 overall, 4-4 conference).