COLUMBUS, GEORGIA—It wasn't reflected on the scoreboard but after a six-game, three-day flurry competing with some of the nation's best, coach George Wares saw progress from his Central College softball team.
                     
After putting some late heat on defending NCAA Division III champion Virginia Wesleyan University in a 5-4 loss Sunday, the weekend ended with a thud in an 11-0, five-inning rout by Emory University (Ga.) at the NFCA Division III Leadoff Classic.
           
It was a 1-5 weekend for the Dutch in the 24-team tourney which featured five of Division III's top six ranked teams, but was overshadowed by the loss of standout pitcher Sydni Huisman (junior, Treynor) who was lost with a potential season-ending injury moments before Friday's opening game.
           
Yet there were sparks of promise from the young squad, including in the pitching circle, where freshman Chloe Dougherty (Alleman, North Polk HS), who took one of the final spots on the travel squad and wasn't expected to see significant action, turned in another steady performance in a big test against No. 2 Virginia Wesleyan (8-3). Dougherty, who notched a complete-game win in her first collegiate start Saturday, gave up 10 hits and four walks but just three earned runs in 5.1 innings before Emma Neu (sophomore, Rochelle Park, N.J., Hackensack HS) threw a scoreless 1.2 innings.
           
"Chloe being able to do what she did against a team like that was impressive," Wares said. "She had to go through a lot of stressful innings and showed us something."
           
Trailing 5-1 in the sixth, Central used three hits and more aggressive baserunning to pull within a run. Designated player Emma Jensen (junior, Davenport, Assumption HS) had a run-scoring infield hit, and two runs scored on another infield hit by third baseman Carson Fisk (junior, Searsboro, Lynnville-Sully HS) as Cassie Severson (junior, Ankeny, Centennial HS) raced home from second base.
           
Severson, a catcher and outfielder in high school, was pressed into action at shortstop for the day with shortstop Haley Bach (freshman, Council Bluffs, Lewis Central HS) moving to second base after second baseman Lauren Birt (senior, Ankeny, Centennial HS) was injured Saturday. Birt was held out of action for the rest of the weekend but is expected to return to the lineup soon.
           
"Cassie looked really good," Wares said. "She made all the plays and she's got a tremendous arm. There's still some things she doesn't know situationally, but that will come."
           
Bach had scored Central's initial run in the third inning after singling and eventually sprinting home on an error.
           
The Dutch went quietly against Emory (5-5), mustering just one hit, a two-out first-inning double by first baseman Megan Stuhr (sophomore, Sigourney). Pitcher Morgan Schaben (junior, Portsmouth, Harlan HS) absorbed the loss, giving up three runs on four hits in 1.1 innings. Neu was tagged for eight runs on 10 hits in 2.2 innings of relief. Schaben was slated for limited duty as she comes back from injury, prompting Wares to use the early hook.
           
"Morgan probably could have worked through it but we didn't want to make her do that," Wares said.
           
The veteran coach raved about the defensive work of catcher Madison Farrington (junior, Marshalltown, East Marshall HS), who threw out three more would-be base stealers. She's thrown out five on the year.
           
"I thought she was the best defensive catcher here," Wares said. "I didn't see anybody any better."
           
He also liked the offensive showing of center fielder Emma Johnson (junior, Davenport, Assumption HS), who hit a team-high .400 for the six games.
           
"Emma is turning into a solid No. 2 hitter (in the batting order)," he said.
           
Yet Wares is also eager for his team's efforts to start impacting the win column.
           
"We saw a lot of good things but we're 1-5," he said. "We don't want to have a season with a lot of moral victories."                                                                
           
The Dutch return to Iowa Monday then heads back to the airport Saturday for a spring break trip to the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Fort Myers and Naples, Florida. It's Central's first appearance in the tourney. The squad starts play next Monday morning March 14 against Oneonta State (N.Y.) at 9 a.m. (8 a.m. Central Daylight Time) before meeting SUNY-Canton at 1 p.m. Central will play 10 games during the week, concluding play Saturday, March 19. The Dutch have never met any of their spring break opponents.
           
"It was a tough weekend here and we're exhausted but we're looking forward to Florida," Wares said. "We'll see some different opponents. There's been some growth and I think that will show."
           
Audio webcasts of at least five of the Florida games will be streamed via www.kniakrls.com, although the webcast schedule is not yet finalized.