TUCSON, ARIZ.—The Central College softball team ran its win streak to four games with a pair of lopsided wins at the Tucson Invitational Games Friday.
The No. 21-rated Dutch (8-4) scored 10-0 and 11-0, respectively, five-inning routs of Chapman University (Calif.) and Northland College (Wis.).
"With the heat and the number of games we're playing, it was nice to get them done in five innings," coach
George Wares said. "In past years in games like this, we sometimes let it get a little ugly, but we were able to maintain our focus."
Center fielder
Sara Tallman (sophomore, Pella) and designated player
Kaitlyn Andresen (sophomore, Davenport, Assumption HS) each had five hits on the day.
A seven-run, five-hit fourth-inning outburst broke open the contest with Chapman (5-6).
"I was a little surprised we were able to win as easily as we did against Chapman, but we got it going one inning," Wares said. "This team can be pretty good offensively when we get on a roll."
Andresen, who moved back to designated player with the return of freshman shortstop
Daria Parchert (freshman, Illinois City, Ill., Rockridge HS) from the injury list, was 3-for-3 against Chapman and had four hits for the day while right fielder
Shaye Witte (sophomore, West Des Moines, Waukee HS) had a pair of hits against the Panthers. Witte, in her first season with the Dutch, started the year in the No. 9 spot in the batting order but Wares moved her to No. 2 Friday behind Tallman.
"Through the first eight games, Sara had 10 more at-bats than Shaye did," Wares said. "Shaye is too good to not get those extra at-bats. They're going to be a really good one-two."
Pitcher
Mariah Fritz (junior, Tama, East Marshall HS) got the win. Fritz (4-2) went four innings, limiting the Panthers to three hits and a walk while fanning four.
Annie DeVries (senior, Eldridge, North Scott HS) got the final three outs in the fifth inning.
"Mariah was sharp," Wares said. "They really only had one legitimate scoring chance against her and she's been really tough with runners on base. She's confident in the defense behind her and, take away her first game, for the most part she's been pitching ahead in the count."
Wares also liked the way DeVries was able to close it out.
"Going forward, we'll probably split some games up between them," he said.
Parchert was injured early in the trip and returned with a big two-out hit against Chapman before resting against Northland.
"She's not 100 percent but we're hoping to have her the rest of the weekend," Wares said. "Kaitlyn (Andresen) was doing well at third but our arms improve with Daria at short and
Lauren (Bagby) (junior, Norwalk) at third."
Central ran wild against Northland 1-11, peppering the Lumberjills with 16 hits and five stolen bases while exploiting the short game. Wares shuffled the lineup to insert some Dutch reserves some playing time. Tallman had four hits and three steals, catcher
Kylie Olson (junior, Mapleton, Minn., Maple River HS) had three hits and designated player
Sarah Sponder (sophomore, Sioux City, East HS) had two hits.
"One thing we have more than past years, we're pretty deep at multiple positions," Wares said. "We can bring people in and we don't lose as much as we might have in the past."
Pitcher
Danielle Riley (junior, Afton, East Union HS) tossed a one-hit shutout, improving to 2-0.
Saturday Central takes on The College of Staten Island (N.Y.) at 10 a.m. (Central Time) and Rochester Institute of Technology (N.Y.) at noon. Staten Island is coming off a 35-9 campaign. The Dolphins are 1-3, but two of the losses were to No. 2-ranked St. John Fisher (N.Y.) and No. 6 Trine University (Ind.).
It will be the opening game for RIT, a 22-16 team in 2017 that returns six starters, including three all-Liberty League honorees.
"Both teams are solid," Wares said. "Staten Island's pitching is good and they've got a very good shortstop. With RIT on their first day outdoors, you never know if that's to their advantage by being fresh or our advantage having played. They've got some good athletes."
