Ryann Engholm March 15, 2009

Central bats sizzle in sweep

TUCSON, ARIZ..—Not even a ball in the dirt could retire Central third baseman Afton Nelson (junior, Bettendorf, Pleasant Valley HS) Sunday.

Nelson and her hot bat pounded out six hits as the Dutch softball team hammered its way past Wis.-Platteville 9-0 and Lakeland College (Wis.) 11-2 in a pair of five-inning games.

Nelson reached base seven consecutive times with a double, five singles and a walk, driving in three runs with a bases-loaded hit against Wis.-Platteville (1-2). But it was an at-bat in the nightcap against Lakeland (1-1) that had the crowd buzzing. With a runner at second base, coach George Wares called for a hit-and-run. The pitch landed in the dirt two feet in front of home plate, but Nelson, not about to disobey orders, waited for the rebound and golfed an infield hit  to the right side.

All the bounces were going Central’s way Sunday as the Dutch put together 19 hits in the two games. Central (5-1) erupted for four runs in the first inning against Wis.-Platteville and scored in eight of nine innings.

Pitcher Megan Swingen (senior, Woden, Woden-Crystal Lake HS) improved to 2-1 with three innings of one-hit ball against Wis.-Platteville. Kiley Lythberg (sophomore, Mount Prospect, Ill.) yielded a run on three hits in three innings against Lakeland. Lythberg (3-0) walked one and struck out five. The Dutch got relief help from Katie Tenboer (sophomore, Morrison, Ill.), Allyse Vander Plaats (junior, Apple Valley, Calif., Naperville North, Ill. HS) and Natalie Deming (junior, New Sharon, North Mahaska HS).

Ryann Engholm (senior, Bloomington, Minn., Thomas Jefferson HS) got starts in left field and in right field and belted a two-run homer against Wis.-Platteville. Second baseman Angela Davis (freshman, West Des Moines, Valley HS) had three hits and a walk with three runs scored in the two games. Tenboer slugged her way out of an early slump with three hits and a walk while center fielder Alysha Overturf (senior, Bettendorf, Pleasant Valley HS) had two hits and a walk as did freshman designated player Rachael Everingham (Georgetown, Ill., Ridge Farm HS). Overturf knocked in two runs with a triple against Lakeland.

“We challenged some people earlier today, in a good way, to individually get better and help us improve collectively,” Wares said. “Every player we talked to, the things we wanted them to improve, they did.”

A key area where Wares is looking for progress is behind the plate and he liked what he saw from catchers Trysha Shimak (sophomore, Cedar Rapids, Kennedy HS) and Kyrie Hale (freshman, Lee’s Summit, Mo.). Hale picked off a runner and threw out a would-be basestealer.

The Dutch got contributions from the bench as well as the starters.

“Everybody that got on the field contributed to some degree,” Wares said. “The thing I like is we have a lot of players who just look good at the plate. They’re very confident.”

Central is in action for its fourth straight day Monday, going up against Wesleyan Univ. (Conn.) at 11 a.m. (Pacific Daylight Time) and Edgewood College (Wis.) at 1:30 p.m.