DECORAH — The pitching staff gave the Central College softball team an opportunity Saturday, but defense was the difference for No. 2-rated Luther College in 1-0, 4-0 setbacks Saturday.
The Dutch (21-13 overall, 7-5 Iowa Conference) yielded a first-inning run in both games and trailed nearly the entire day. Yet they had a late chance in the sixth inning of the opener. With the Dutch down a run, center fielder Sarah Bowen (junior, New Sharon, North Mahaska HS) walked and advanced to third after a wild pitch and passed ball. Ball four to left fielder Sadie Baugher (freshman, Eddyville, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont HS) got past the catcher but Bowen was tagged out attempting to score.
That was the most offensive noise Central could muster. The Dutch were limited to two hits in each game, but Wares credited Luther's stingy defense as much as its steady pitching.
"I was happy with our approach at the plate for the most part," he said. "But Luther played as well defensively as any team we've seen all year. Their outfield took away at least five hits from us and they were really good on the infield."
Pitcher Karly Olson (junior, Winterset) held the hard-hitting Norse (32-2 overall, 9-1 conference) to just three hits, but she allowed two first-inning hits and a pair of walks, one of which forced in the game's only run.
"Karly was really effective," Wares said. "And we played really solid defensively. We just got ourselves in a hole at the start of both games."
Olson (15-13) started the second game as well, but Luther combined a walk, error, wild pitch and infield hit to score a first-inning run, then used three hits and an error to knock her out in the third. She was charged with two earned run on four hits and three walks with two strikeouts in 2.0 innings. Annie DeVries (sophomore, Eldridge, North Scott HS) was steady in relief, giving up two hits and a walk in four scoreless frames.
"We just made one big mistake on the bases in the first game and had one really bad inning in the second game," Wares said. "You can't do that against a team like Luther.
"We had a couple of opportunities, but you have to take advantage when you have a chance. That's championship softball. Luther converted its chances and we didn't."
Catcher Emily Walton (sophomore, Cedar Rapids, Jefferson HS) had one of Central's four hits and has a team-high .364 batting mark, with Tabitha Taylor (sophomore, Grimes, Dallas Center-Grimes HS) at .353. Taylor, the team's left fielder most of the year, had to move to second base, her high school position, Saturday. She was filling in for Paige Dickel (sophomore, Norwalk) who was injured when hit by an errant throw between innings Tuesday and didn't make the trip. Baugher replaced Taylor in left field. Wares is hopeful that Dickel will be back next week.
Wares said Central might add a non-conference twinbill in the regular season's final week but otherwise, his club doesn't return to action until next Saturday, closing out the league slate with a home doubleheader against Wartburg College. The Knights are 14-22 overall and 4-6 in the league, but are making a late-inning resurgence. They stunned Luther Tuesday, snapping a 26-game Norse win streak with a 12-4 five-inning rout in a doubleheader split. Saturday they surprised Simpson College 11-2 before dropping the nightcap 2-0.
A video webcast and live stats of Saturday's games can be accessed via the Central athletics website at www.central.edu/athletics.
