NAPERVILLE, ILL.—Shortstop
Daria Parchert (sophomore, Illinois City, Ill., Rockridge HS) delivered some seventh-inning magic with the bat and the glove to give the Central College softball team a comeback victory and a doubleheader sweep at North Central College (Ill.) Saturday, 7-2 and 4-2.
The Dutch (14-4) entered the seventh inning of the nightcap trailing 2-1 but Parchert's clutch two-run triple highlighted a three-run rally. Then with a runner aboard for North Central (15-5) in the bottom of the seventh, a shot up the middle appeared ticketed for center field, but Parchert snagged it behind the bag and started a game-ending double play.
"We had Daria positioned up the middle and she got it on one hop," coach
George Wares said. "It was a tough play but she made a lot of plays look easy today that weren't easy."
Parchert, who also had a run-scoring triple in the seventh inning of the opener, gave Central an insurance run when she scored on a grounder to second base by
Amanda Sigulas (junior, Morton, Ill.).
"That was a huge triple for Daria but it was just as good of an at-bat right after that for Amanda, who gave herself up with the ground ball to get the extra run home," Wares said. "There's a big difference being up one run versus being up two runs."
That made a winner of
Danielle Riley (senior, Afton, East Union HS), who threw 5.1 innings of relief. She surrendered just two hits, including a fourth-inning home run, while walking three and striking out one to improve to 6-0.
"Danielle came in and pitched well," Wares said. "She really kept us in the game when we were struggling offensively."
Game one winner
Mariah Fritz (senior, Tama, East Marshall HS) started the nightcap as well, but was lifted after giving up a two-out, first-inning homer. She returned to throw the seventh inning, walking one, to pick up her second save.
Fritz scattered six hits in the opener, blanking North Central for six innings. She allowed a pair of unearned seventh-inning runs, walking two and striking out one.
"Mariah kept her pitches under control," Wares said.
Left fielder
Shaye Witte (junior, West Des Moines, Waukee HS), still recovering from injury, was nonetheless torrid at the plate with five hits in the two games.
"She made some plays defensively and hit the ball exceptionally well," Wares said.
Third baseman
Lauren Bagby (senior, Norwalk) had three hits and Wares also cited catcher
Kylie Olson (senior, Mapleton, Minn., Maple River HS).
"Kylie had two huge hits in the first game and set the offensive tone," Wares said.
Central outhit North Central 13-6 in the opener but just 4-3 in the second game. The Dutch made only one error on the day.
Even though the games were non-conference, the seventh-inning rally gives the Dutch some emotional capital, Wares said.
"The players just stayed within themselves," he said. "It means a lot to know you can come back like that. It gives us some confidence coming into a very tough week."
The Dutch begin a flurry of 10 games in five days Wednesday, traveling to Waverly for an American Rivers game with Wartburg College. The Knights are among the league's most improved clubs and are 19-7 overall and 4-2 in the league after a 7-3, 2-0 sweep at the University of Dubuque Saturday. Central split a doubleheader with Wartburg at Pella last year, winning 7-2 before tumbling 5-4. The Dutch hold a 61-33 lead in the teams' all-time series.
"We're only thinking about Wartburg right now," Wares said of the upcoming week. "They're much improved. It will be a challenge to handle that offense in Waverly, not only because of the power they've got but the way they run the bases."
