TUCSON, ARIZ.—After a wobbly start, the spring break trip finished with a flourish for the Central College softball team, which completed its 16-game Arizona slate with a 7-0 shutout of Wis.-La Crosse and a 7-6 triumph over Augsburg University (Minn.) Sunday.
           
The 21st-ranked Dutch (12-4) return to Iowa riding an eight-game win streak.
           
Central had lost three straight times to Wis.-La Crosse on previous Arizona trips.
           
"They're 0-4 but they're going to be a good team," Wares said. "We scored a couple runs early with our short game and then seemed to have the right players up at the right time. It was good to get that one."
           
Pitcher Mariah Fritz (junior, Tama, East Marshall HS) fired a two-hit shutout, walking three batters and striking out seven in improving to 6-2.
           
Center fielder Sara Tallman (sophomore, Pella) and catcher Emily Walton (senior, Cedar Rapids, Jefferson HS) each had three hits while right fielder Shaye Witte (sophomore, West Des Moines, Waukee HS) had two, including a two-run double.
           
Central jumped to a 6-0 lead on Augsburg but took its foot off the gas and the Auggies (6-2) nearly pulled off the comeback.
           
"We made the decision to substitute and maybe lost some quality at-bats," Wares said.
           
But he noted that there was no drop-off with one of those replacements as right fielder Sadie Baugher (junior, Eddyville, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont HS) had two hits and knocked in three runs in three at-bats.
           
Tallman was on base three more times with a single and two walks while Witte had another two hits. Witte, in her first action for the Dutch after transferring from Winona State (Minn.), has exceeded Wares' lofty expectations as she's hitting a robust .526 to lead the team.
           
DeVries (4-2) got the win but needed seventh-inning relief help from Fritz, who notched her first save. DeVries blanked the Auggies on two hits for five innings but Augsburg struck for three runs in the sixth and three more in the seventh. Fritz walked one and gave up a hit before getting the final out.
           
Second baseman Paige Dickel (senior, Norwalk) returned to the lineup after suffering an injury the previous day that caused her to sit out a game. She was limited at the plate, but still delivered a double.
           
"We were just happy to see that her hand wasn't broken," Wares said.
           
Other injuries are mounting, however, and the Dutch are in need of a break.
           
"I don't think we as coaches have the energy to coach another game tomorrow, so I can't imagine how tired the players feel," Wares said.
           
Wares noted that Central opened 0-2 in the NFCA Leadoff Classic at Tucson eight days ago and was trailing DePauw University (Ind.) 10-7 in the bottom of the eighth. But the Dutch stormed back to an 11-10 victory and the first of 12 wins in the next 14 games. The comeback seemed to fuel the team's belief in itself, Wares said.
           
"At the time, I remember saying that it was kind of an ugly game but that it could be a season-defining win," he said. "I think that was a defining day for this team and something that we can carry with us."
           
There were still stumbles, notably a surrendered lead in a 5-4 loss to the College of Saint Benedict (Minn.). Consequently, Wares was eager to lock down the Augsburg win.
           
"The last two innings felt like the most intense innings of the entire week," Wares said. "We just didn't want that one to get away."
           
Central has an extended break before opening up the northern portion of its schedule with a non-conference doubleheader with Grinnell College Wednesday, March 28 at 2 p.m. at the A.N. Kuyper Athletics Complex field. The Pioneers are 0-2 and head to Florida for eight games next week. Central took two at Grinnell last year and lead the teams' all-time series 6-0.
Live stats and a video webcast of the games can be accessed through athletics.central.edu.
           
"The schedule plays out well with the extra time off," Wares said. "That's really going to be beneficial."
           
Wares will also welcome some practice time, now that the team has a better sense of where it needs work. Many preseason questions were answered and the veteran coach saw much he liked.
           
"Yet the nice thing is we still have a higher ceiling," he said. "There's still so much improvement we can make."