Ryann Engholm swing April 26, 2008

Engholm slam helps Central split

DECORAH—Catcher Kelly Harris (senior, LeClaire, Pleasant Valley HS) reached base four times and scored three runs while first baseman Ryann Engholm (junior, Bloomington, Minn., Thomas Jefferson HS) delivered a grand slam to help the Central College softball team quickly rebound from a disappointing opening-game loss as the Dutch split an Iowa Conference doubleheader at Luther College Saturday.    

 Luther got a three-run walk-off home run from Magner to win the opener 7-4 before Central (21-14 overall, 8-8 conference) countered with Engholm’s slamin scoring a 9-3 win. That gives the Dutch fifth place in the league standings while Luther (27-10 overall, 8-8 conference) is fourth, meaning the teams will meet again Thursday at 10 a.m. in the six-team conference tournament at Waverly.

“That was a tough way to end the first game,” coach George Wares said. “We were down and it’s a tribute to the players to come back the way they did.”

Harris led off game two with a single and eventually scored for an early 1-0 lead.

“Scoring the run in the first was big,” Wares said. “That gave us a lift.”

The Dutch broke it open in the third. Harris again got it started with a walk. One batter later, third baseman Afton Nelson (sophomore, Bettendorf, Pleasant Valley HS) singled Harris home. Engholm capped the inning with a grand slam, lining her fourt homer of the season over the center-field fence. Central added two runs in the fourth and one in the sixth.

Nelson was also on base four times and rapped three hits. She and Harris combined for six of Central's10 hits in the game. Pitcher Megan Swingen (junior, Woden, Woden-Crystal Lake HS) improved to 8-3, giving up three runs on four hits, walking three and striking out two over seven innings.

Luther’s dramatic seventh inning in the opener spoiled a furious Dutch comeback. Trailing 2-0, Central tied the game in the fifth inning as right fielder Laura Braun (sophomore, Newton)  brought home a run with a bunt single and center fielder Alysha Overturf (junior, Bettendorf, Pleasant Valley HS) followed with a run-scoring single. The Dutch then took the lead with two more tallies in the sixth. Left fielder Hannah Weindruch (junior, Bettendorf, Pleasant Valley HS) delivered a run-scoring triple to right field and scored on a force out.

Hannah WeindruchBut Luther quickly answered with a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth by Kruse before winning it in the seventh on Magner’s blast, her 14th of the season.

Kiley Lythberg (freshman, Mount Prospect, Ill.) suffered the loss. Lythberg (9-8) gave up seven runs on 10 hits, walking one and striking out four.

“For five innings Kiley pitched pretty well,” Wares said. “We made some good defensive plays and did a great job of battling back to take the lead. That’s where we can’t quite get over the hump yet to finish it off. But you have to give credit to Luther for coming back.”

But Wares is enthused about the progress the young Dutch are making in winning five of their last six games. Most significant to him is what he sees on defense. Central was errorless on the day.

“I thought we made some really solid plays,” he said. “Alysha (Overturf) did a great job on a line drive to center to get a double play, Megan (Swingen) fielded her position really well, Bethany Koskamp (freshman, Cedar Rapids, Kennedy HS) is doing a good job and Katie Tenboer (freshman, Morrison, Ill.) keeps getting better and better at third.”

Central closes out the regular season Monday night, traveling to Rock Island, Ill. to take on Augustana College (Ill.) in a 6 p.m. non-conference doubleheader.

“It’s a chance to take a look at another quality opponent,” Wares said, as he prepares his club for the league tourney.