PELLA-The fears were about Wartburg College’s prolific base stealers but it was the Central College softball team that ran wild in a pair of stunning 5-inning runaways Tuesday 10-2 and 8-0. The Dutch (17-6 overall, 4-0 American Rivers) moved back into the NFCA Division III ratings earlier in the day at No. 24 and looked like they intend to stay in the rankings after pilfering 11 bases, including eight in just four innings in the opener, in the surprisingly lopsided tussle between conference contenders.
“We were really worried about their speed,” coach George Wares said. “They’re so aggressive up and down the lineup.” But Central upped its season total to 80 steals, as shortstop Carson Fisk (5th-year, Searsboro, Lynnville-Sully HS) had three stolen bases in the opening game and second baseman Haley Bach (junior, Council Bluffs, Lewis Central HS) had two.
“We’ve got a lot of people who run the bases well and we had some really good slides today,” Wares said. “We’ve got a lot of things to be happy about and a lot of things to work on.” Wartburg (16-11 overall, 4-2 conference) was battle-tested, playing one of the most daunting non-conference schedules in Division III and took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of game one. But Sydni Huisman (5th-year, Treynor) squirmed free of what could have been more extensive damage and then the Dutch erupted for six runs in the second inning and four in the third. Bach had two hits of Central’s seven hits, including a triple, and drove in three runs. She had three hits and five RBIs on the day. Catcher Rylee Dunkin (freshman, Hamilton, Twin Cedars HS) had two hits. Pitcher Morgan Schaben (5th-year, Portsmouth, Harlan HS) improved to 5-0 with 2.1 innings of scoreless relief, allowing one hit and no walks.
“We actually thought about going with Morgan sooner because she’s such a good match-up with them,” Wares said. Central was nursing a 2-0 lead in the second game until erupting for six runs in the fifth inning. Right fielder Hannah Higgins (sophomore, Macomb, Ill.), who had four hits on the day, was 3-for-3 in the nightcap with four RBIs, getting a three-run double in the fifth. The Dutch ended it on a two-run double by Bach later in the inning as Fisk was hot on the heels of left fielder Megan Doty (5th-year, Grinnell) as they crossed the plate nearly simultaneously, with Fisk sliding under the tag for the winner.
Pitcher Emma Beck (sophomore, Holland, Grundy Center HS) had one of her steadiest outings against the dangerous Knight lineup, allowing four hits and three walks while striking out two over 5.0 innings to improve to 6-4. Beck was coming off what Wares thought was an uneven performance in a 5-4 win over preseason conference favorite Coe College Saturday.
“Her control was better,” Wares said. “There was a moment where it was much like Saturday and we had a meeting and said, OK, which way is it going to go? And then she really responded and finished the game. We were glad to end it against a team like that, because they’re so good offensively. They’re going to be trouble for a lot of teams.” As significant as the Dutch running game was their defense. Emma Johnson (5th-year, Davenport, Assumption Catholic HS) sparkled in center field as she so often does while Fisk gloved some wicked hops at shortstop from an unforgiving infield.
“It means so much to Carson,” Wares said. “She’s done so much to improve her game. She had a tough day on Saturday. She had some tough balls and she’s a competitor so she was down. But she spent a lot of time, we talked a lot and she got extra ground balls and she was outstanding today. She looked like a fifth-year college shortstop. She made some tough plays look pretty easy.” The wins were an emotional boost after the Dutch lost yet another varsity contributor to injury in practice Monday as the team’s top pinch-runner, junior Anya Kistenmacher (Holstein, Ridge View HS) was sidelined, potentially for the season.
“It was another unfortunate situation with Anya,” Wares said. “But she gave the team a a talk before the game which was good for her to be able to do that and helps bring the team together.” Wares was comfortable launching another demanding conference slate with back-to-back twinbills against anticipated contenders, but even more so after starting 4-0.
“I personally like it because no matter how you start, 0-4 or 4-0, you know exactly where you stand and what you have to do the rest of the way,” he said. “To put ourselves in this kind of spot, then if you do get a hiccup, you’ve got something in the bank.”
