DECORAH — A steady relief performance by pitcher Annie DeVries (sophomore, Eldridge, North Scott HS) preserved Central College's 5-4 triumph over Coe College in the opening game of the six-team Iowa Conference softball tourney Friday.
The win advances the Dutch (23-14) into an 11 a.m. Saturday semifinal with No. 2-rated Luther College (34-2), the tournament's top seed and host school. Second-seeded Simpson College (25-10) meets the winner of Friday's contest between No. 3 seed Buena Vista University (20-15) and No. 6 Wartburg College (17-23). Saturday's title game is set for 4 p.m.
That Friday's game was close was predictable for the young Dutch. The outcome less so. It was Central's 13th one-run game in 2016 with two others going into extra innings, and an 8-7 record in those contests.
This time Central saw a 5-0 sixth-inning lead nearly vanish. Coe struck for three runs in the top of the sixth and had runners on second and third with just one out when DeVries was summoned to relieve starter Karly Olson (junior, Winterset). DeVries induced a sacrifice fly and a ground out to end the frame with Central clinging to a 5-4 lead.
Coe was on the brink of a seventh-inning threat when leadoff hitter Mallory McArtor beat out an infield hit, then tried to sneak past the Dutch defense for an extra base and was alertly thrown out by second baseman Paige Dickel (sophomore, Norwalk). DeVries then notched the final two outs, sandwiched around a walk, for her second save.
"Annie (DeVries) came up big," coach George Wares said. "She pitched really well."
Wares also cited Olson, who shut out the Kohawks for the first five innings. She wriggled free from a fourth-inning jam after Coe had put runners at second and third with no outs. Olson (16-14) threw 5.1 innings, getting charged with four runs on eight hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
DeVries threw 1.2 innings, allowing a hit and a walk.
Meanwhile Central's young bats continued to show promise. The Dutch got an RBI single in a two-run first inning from Olson. A one-out double from catcher Emily Walton (sophomore, Cedar Rapids, Jefferson HS) sparked a three-run fourth-inning uprising. Dickel had an RBI hit and Abby Voas (junior, Chanhassen, Minn.) launched her third homer of the season, a two-run shot to center field.
"We're getting some quality at-bats," Wares said. "We're not consistent from one through nine (in the batting order), but we're getting more production. We were very aggressive on the bases and obviously the home run by Abby (Voas) was big. We needed every one of those runs."
Luther swept the Dutch at Decorah 1-0 and 4-0 April 23 and the Norse will be a likely No. 1 seed when the NCAA Division III regional tournament brackets are revealed Monday at 1 p.m. on www.ncaa.com . Central's best shot at cracking the 62-team NCAA field is to win the league tourney, but that will require back-to-back victories Saturday, starting with a big upset of the host school.
It's a daunting semifinal draw, but Wares doesn't mind.
"I'd prefer to play the better team first," he said. "If we're fortunate enough to get that, then we just have to do whatever we can to make something happen in the second game."
Regardless, while the string of tight games may generate some angst for the coaches and fans, it's also helping the Dutch build some resilience.
"Wins like today are good for our seniors and also good for the memory banks of the younger players," Wares said. "They've been challenged a lot, but every win we get is better for both this year's team and for the future."
The Central schedule is arguably the toughest in Division III and while the record isn't flashy, Wares said the team is proving it can contend. Now the players need to believe that.
"We don't have to do anything magical," he said. "We just need to be consistent."
