STORM LAKE— A dramatic late-inning resurgence fizzled as the Central College softball team stumbled on the road Wednesday, getting swept at Buena Vista University 9-0 (5 inn.) and 5-4 (10 inn.).
The Dutch (18-10 overall, 4-2 Iowa Conference) were stymied much of the day. They mustered just four hits in the opener and had only three hits in the first six innings of the nightcap.
But left fielder Tabitha Taylor (sophomore, Grimes, Dallas Center-Grimes HS), who was 2-for-2 in the opener, came up big in the seventh inning of the second game. Trailing 1-0 and down to a final out, she roped a double to center field, bringing pinch-runner Felicia Schulty (junior, Wellman, Mid-Prairie HS) with the tying run to extend the game.
Central appeared to take command in the eighth. Schulty had to stay in the game because shortstop Paige Schreiner (senior, Ottumwa) was run for twice as the Dutch were desperate for the tying run in the seventh. Schulty had just four at bats on the season, but bashed a two-run double. Pitcher Karly Olson (junior, Winterset) followed with an RBI single and Central was up 4-1.
Just as quickly, however, the lead disappeared as Buena Vista (18-11 overall, 5-1 conference) got a big two-out blow of its own, scoring three runs in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game again. The Beavers won it in the 10th on a pair of walks and an error.
"We were shut down as much as we've been shut down in a long time most of the day," coach George Wares said. "Then we got the big hit by Tabitha (Taylor) and that gave us a spark. And in the eighth, that was a huge hit for Felicia (Schulty). But we just couldn't get the final out."
Olson gave up a three-run homer in the first inning of the opener and the Dutch were down 6-0 after just two innings. Olson was charged with six runs on four hits and a walk with two strikeouts in 1.1 innings. Annie DeVries (sophomore, Eldridge, North Scott HS) entered in the second and pitched the final 2.2 frames, giving up three runs on six hits with two walks and a strikeout.
Olson (12-10) came back in the second game and was strong for the first seven innings. She eventually yielded three earned runs on six hits.
It was a roller-coaster day for the young Dutch, who were never quite in sync, Wares said.
"That's the way this team has been," he said. "We can be really good, like we were against Simpson (a Dutch sweep April 6) and we can be not so good, as we've showed at times."
Central travels to the University of Dubuque Saturday for a 1 p.m. league twinbill. The Spartans are 7-19 overall and 0-4 in the conference. The games will be broadcast on KRLS-FM (92.1) and can also be heard via www.kniakrls.com.
"As coaches, we need to keep finding ways to help the players improve, and the players have to find ways to help themselves get better," Wares said.
