Luther swats away Central softball upset bid
Central College
DECORAH — It’s hard to say if it was more surprising that the upstart Central College softball team bolted to an 11-2 lead over the Iowa Conference champs on their home field, or that No. 5-rated Luther College rolled up 13 runs in two innings for an unlikely 17-11 comeback win in the league tournament Saturday.
Yet for Central fans, with seat belts tightly fastened throughout this young team’s thrill ride of a season, perhaps neither was completely unexpected.
“We’ve been capable all year,” coach George Wares said. “Yet we haven’t had too many games where we’ve played seven innings consistently, even in the games we’ve won.”
The loss drops the Dutch to 23-15 for the year and, even after enduring arguably Division III’s most ambitious schedule, they’re left with only long-shot hopes of receiving an NCAA tournament bid when the 62-team field is announced Monday via NCAA.com.
Just two weeks ago on the same field, the teams combined for only five runs in 1-0 and 4-0 Luther victories. Saturday, they exploded for 28 as Luther racked up 20 hits to Central’s nine. The Norse, 35-2, had just six homers in their first 36 games. Saturday, they belted five. That left even a hall of fame coach like Wares searching for answers.
“I don’t know if you can explain it,” he said. “The ball was obviously carrying today.”
The end result overshadowed a stunning start for Central, which ended a 16-inning scoreless streak against Luther by busting loose for six runs in the third inning and five more in the fourth.
Pitcher Karly Olson (junior, Winterset) roped a run-scoring double to get Central on the board in the third and later second baseman Paige Dickel (sophomore, Norwalk) cracked a three-run homer, the first of her Central career. Olson added an RBI single in the fourth inning before shortstop Paige Schreiner (senior, Ottumwa) delivered a grand slam, her first homer of the year, and suddenly Central was up 11-2.
Knowing Central had to win a second game Saturday to claim the tourney crown, Wares elected to give Olson (16-15) a short break from her pitching duties. But relievers Annie DeVries (sophomore, Eldridge, North Scott HS), Trisha Smith (senior, New Hampton) and Audria Wagenknecht (freshman, Aurora, Ill., Waubonsie Valley HS) couldn’t contain the Luther bats. Olson returned in the fifth inning, yet the Norse surge continued, with seven runs in the sixth inning.
Olson, left fielder Tabitha Taylor (sophomore, Grimes, Dallas Center-Grimes HS), third baseman Lauren Bagby (sophomore, Norwalk) each had two hits in the game while Schreiner had five RBIs. Bagby emerged as Central’s leading hitter for the season with a .367 mark followed by Taylor at .357 and catcher Emily Walton (sophomore, Cedar Rapids, Jefferson HS) at .345. First baseman Abbie Voas (junior, Chanhassen, Minn.) took the team lead in home runs (3) and RBIs (26).
Olson posted a team-leading 2.77 earned run average, allowing 157 hits in 159.1 innings. Her 138 strikeouts are the seventh-highest season total in school history.
Schreiner and Smith are the team’s only seniors. Smith was especially effective in 2014 and posted an impressive 28-4 career record. Her duty was limited this spring, with a 3-0 mark and a 3.82 earned run average over 25.2 innings.
“What Trish gave in her sophomore year was one of the better pitching performances we’ve had,” Wares said. “I’m sure it was hard for her to not pitch more this year, yet she still gave us a lot. She was very enthusiastic, even when she wasn’t on the field.”
Schreiner, a team captain, transferred to Central a year ago, earning second-team all-conference honors in 2015. She hit .248 with 22 RBIs this year and Wares noted her glove solidified an inexperienced infield, as did her leadership.
“Paige has been extremely coachable and team-oriented,” Wares said. “She played a very solid shortstop and, even when she wasn’t hitting well, just kept plugging away.
“We’re going to miss them a lot.”
If Central is left out of this year’s NCAA tournament, it would end a string of seven straight postseason appearances. The Dutch have received a Division III record 27 NCAA tourney berths overall.
“The end of the season is always hard,” Wares said, noting how much his players invest in one of the nation’s top programs. “The hurt on the seniors’ faces today was the same hurt I saw on 10 seniors’ faces last year. It doesn’t matter if it’s now or in the super regional, it’s just hard when you realize it’s over.”
Yet lessons were plentiful for Central’s numerous younger players, and Wares is hoping the education is fruitful in 2016.
“You hope the freshmen who didn’t get it will understand what it takes when they’re sophomores and the sophomores who didn’t get it will understand when they’re juniors,” Wares said. “Now what it comes down to is, when they have options this summer or next fall, will they make the choices that will help them get better as players and, more importantly, help us get better as a team?”
