Angela Davis April 1, 2009

Central gains split on strength of comeback victory

 PELLA—Freshman Angela Davis (West Des Moines, Valley HS) lined a two-out RBI single to cap a three-run rally in the bottom of the 10th inning as Central College pulled out a split of its Iowa Conference softball doubleheader with Luther College in a battle of nationally ranked teams Wednesday. Davis’ hit gave the Dutch a 4-3 win in the opener but Luther came back with a 2-1 victory in the nightcap as pitcher Kim Lambert tossed a four-hitter.    

No. 14 Central moved to 18-2 overall and 3-1 in the league. Luther, a conference title co-favorite, is 14-2 overall and 1-1 in the league.

“We’re pretty young and we had a lot of players who got a good introduction to high-level Iowa Conference softball today,” coach George Wares said.

But the newcomers likely won’t soon see another game with the theatrics of Wednesday’s opener.  Dutch pitcher Kiley Lythberg (sophomore, Mount Prospect, Ill.) continued her second-year resurgence, waging a tense skirmish with Luther’s BreAnn Van Deer.

Davis helped Central scratch out a run in the third inning with an RBI bunt single before Luther tied it 1-1 in the fifth. Davis ripped a lead-off double in the ninth inning but Central couldn’t capitalize and Luther finally broke through with two runs in the top of the 10th. That looked like it would be enough but the Dutch weren’t done. Center fielder Alysha Overturf (senior, Bettendorf, Pleasant Valley HS) doubled and designated player Rachael Everingham (freshman, Georgetown, Ill., Ridge Farm HS) singled. A walk to catcher Kyrie Hale (freshman, Lee’s Summit, Mo.) loaded the bases and pinch-hitter Brittany Becker (sophomore, Gilbertville, Don Bosco HS) belted a shot into the teeth of a brisk wind, hitting the base of the left-field fence and tying the score at 2-2.

Two outs later, shortstop Kelsey Wright (freshman, Gilbertville, Don Bosco HS), who reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second and raced home on Davis’ single to center, sliding around the tag at the plate for the winner.

“The first game was one of the best softball games I’ve been involved in, and I’ve been doing this a lot of years,” Wares said. “Both teams made play after play. That rally in the bottom of the 10th is hard to produce but it’s one this team is very capable of.”

Lythberg (8-0) gave up seven hits, walking four and striking out seven while allowing one earned run.

“That was a big-time effort by Kiley,” Wares said. “She’s a winner.”

Pitcher Megan Swingen (senior, Woden, Woden-Crystal Lake HS) got the start in the second game, but was relieved in the second inning by Allyse Vander Plaats (junior, Apple Valley, Calif., Naperville North, Ill. HS), who gave up the game’s first run in the third. Katie Tenboer (sophomore, Morrison, Ill.) allowed another run in the fifth before Swingen returned in the sixth inning to get the Dutch out of a jam.

Davis then lined her first career home run over the right field fence to make it 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth. Everingham gave Central a one-out chance with a single in the bottom of the seventh before Lambert closed the door by retiring the next two hitters.

“We weren’t as sharp defensively in the second game,” Wares said. “But Allyse (Vander Plaats) gave us a little something and it was big for Megan (Swingen) to come back in and give us a chance by keeping it close.”

Luther outhit Central 10-4 as Lambert (3-1) struck out eight and walked four.

“She was hurt on their trip to Arizona but she stepped up big for them today,” Wares said. “She was the difference in the second game.”

Davis had four hits on the day, raising her season average to .361. Third baseman Afton Nelson (junior, Bettendorf, Pleasant Valley HS) also had three hits and is Central’s leading hitter at .446.

The Dutch get a precious few hours to rest before taking on No. 4 Washington-St. Louis (Mo.) in a non-conference twinbill at 3 p.m. Friday at the A.N. Kuyper Athletics Complex field in Pella. Then they must trek to Indianola Saturday to face off against another conference contender, Simpson College, in a 2 p.m. doubleheader.

“It’s a tough week,” Wares said. “We just want to keep competing and try to rest as much as we can in between. But if we keep playing well, the wins will take care of themselves. We played 17 innings of better than average softball today. We just hope to keep getting better.”