Alysha Overturf May 1, 2008

Central outhits Luther but falls in league tourney

WAVERLY—Pitcher Megan Swingen (junior, Woden, Woden-Crystal Lake HS) struck out a season-high seven batters and yielded just four hits but it was a day of frustration for the Central College softball team as Luther College emerged as a 6-4 winner in the Iowa Conference tournament opener Thursday.

Central (23-15) faces an elimination game in the six-team, double-elimination tournament. The Dutch come back at noon Friday, taking on the loser of Thursday’s 4 p.m. game between second-seeded Simpson and third-seeded Coe. Coe was an 8-0 winner over sixth-seeded Cornell Thursday.

Luther got home runs from Ashley Hoffman and Danielle Armbruster in the first two innings, then used a hit batsman, a single and three walks to produce two game-changing runs on bases-loaded walks to regain the lead in the fifth. The Norse added an insurance tally in the sixth on a hit batsman and a two-out infield single.

“I thought Megan threw well,” coach George Wares said. “Against Luther’s 3-4-5 hitters that we were worried about, she handled them pretty well. In fact she got five strikeouts. But then we get in trouble with the other kids, hitting two batters on change-ups that Megan Swingenbounced in the dirt.

 “You just can’t give extra baserunners. We did and unfortunately, Luther took advantage of it.”

That negated big days at the plate by Central catcher Kelly Harris (senior, LeClaire) and shortstop Afton Nelson (sophomore, Bettendorf). The former Pleasant Valley High School teammates combined for six of Central’s eight hits and four runs scored. Harris upped her team-high batting average to a steamy .473 while Nelson surged past the .300 mark to .308.

“Afton played well and hit the ball well and Kelly has been phenomenal pretty much all season,” Wares said.

Central entered the tourney with a 22-1 record in games which the Dutch score first, so Wares was happy to see Harris cross the plate in the top of the first inning.

“Again, Kelly setting the tone right away by doubling and scoring the first run,” Wares said. “We really wanted to do that. Even when we gave up the two-run homer in the bottom of the first and then when we were down 3-1, I felt pretty good. We were able to came back and reestablish the momentum.”

Central tied the game with two runs in the third inning as Harris and Nelson scored following a run-scoring single by third baseman Katie Tenboer (freshman, Morrison, Ill.) and a squeeze bunt by left fielder Hannah Weindruch (junior, Bettendorf, Pleasant Valley HS). Harris put Central up 4-3 in the fifth inning when she scored on Tenboer’s sacrifice fly down the left-field line.

Katie TenboerSwingen (8-4) gave up six runs on four hits with four walks. Luther used three hurlers and the third, Kim Lambert, came up big for the Norse. Lambert, who made an early exit in Central’s 9-3 win at Decorah Saturday, entered with one out in the fifth inning and struck out six consecutive batters.

Now the Dutch face a difficult road back, starting with Friday’s game, which could be delayed if local weather forecasts prove accurate.

“When you get to this part, we are going to have to come back against either Coe or Simpson and it’s an uphill climb,” Wares said, noting both teams swept the Dutch earlier this season. “The only thing we can do is try to regroup and get over the disappointment and take it pitch-by-pitch.”