Alysha Overturf April 3, 2009

Anjà vu! Angela Davis, Dutch softball team do it again

PELLA—Final-inning magic continued to flow from the bat of Central College softball second baseman Angela Davis (freshman, West Des Moines, Valley HS) Friday, capping another furious rally by delivering her second walk-off hit against a nationally ranked foe in four days.  

Trailing 3-0 entering the seventh inning, a two-out, two-run Davis double capped a four-run rally as the down-but-never-out Dutch knocked off No. 4-rated Washington-St. Louis (Mo.) 4-3 Friday, then completed the sweep with a 4-1 victory in the nightcap.

Tuesday No. 14 Central was down 3-1 in the bottom of the 10th inning against No. 17 Luther College but plated three runs for a 4-3 win as Davis singled home the gamewinner.

The Dutch (20-2) established the trend early in the season, using a six-run sixth inning for a 6-4 victory over No. 2-rated Wis.-Eau Claire March 20. Davis had a two-run, game-tying hit in that one.

“The really good thing is these (comebacks) are coming against quality teams,” coach George Wares said. “You can’t plan it, but when you do it, it’s such a huge confidence boost. Consciously or subconsciously, it stays with you.”

Central is off to its fastest start since opening 21-1 in 2002.

The Dutch had mustered just three hits while striking out eight times in the first six innings of Friday’s opener against Washington-St. Louis ace Claire Voris. But left fielder Hannah Weindruch (senior, Bettendorf, Pleasant Valley HS) reached on a misplayed bunt to start the seventh and singles by center fielder Alysha Overturf (senior, Bettendorf, Pleasant Valley HS) and catcher Kyrie Hale (freshman, Lee’s Summit, Mo.) loaded the bases with one out. A sacrifice fly by right fielder Laura Braun (junior, Newton) produced the first run. With two outs, shortstop Kelsey Wright (freshman, Gilbertville, Don Bosco HS) knocked in another run with an infield single. Then on a 0-2 count, Davis ripped a shot in the right-center field gap for the winning double.

Kiley LythbergThat made a winner of Kiley Lythberg (sophomore, Mount Prospect, Ill.), now 8-0. She yielded one earned run on four hits, walking one and striking out three.

In the nightcap, designated player Rachael Everingham (freshman, Georgetown, ill., Ridge Farm HS) tripled in a run and scored in a two-run second inning. Central added two runs in the fifth. Pinch-hitter Ryann Engholm (senior, Bloomington, Minn., Thomas Jefferson HS) tripled and scored. Then Wright doubled and raced home all the way from second on a two-out bunt single by third baseman Afton Nelson (junior, Bettendorf, Pleasant Valley HS).

Megan Swingen (senior, Woden, Woden-Crystal Lake HS) got the win in relief of Katie Tenboer (sophomore, Morrison, Ill.). Swingen allowed just one hit in three shutout innings. Lythberg picked up her first save, needing only six pitches to retire the final five hitters.

Wares credited the spark off the bench from seniors Swingen and Engholm.

“Megan’s performance was big, not just for us but for her as well,” he said. “We can’t go as far as we want to go this year without her giving us some important innings. She came in and pitched the way we know she can. She needed that.

“Ryann hasn’t had many at-bats lately but we turned to her today and she hit a shot,” Wares said. “There wasn’t any doubt that was going for extra bases.”

Central also got a defensive lift from Hale, who twice gunned down Washington-St. Louis’ top basestealer Megan Fieser. The Dutch have owned the basepaths in the early going, with a 71-5 advantage in stolen bases.

Saturday start time changed--But the Dutch are still in the midst of a demanding stretch, having to make a quick turnaround to travel to Indianola to meet Iowa Conference contender Simpson College (21-9 overall, 2-2 conference) in a doubleheader. The start time has been moved up to 1 p.m. because of anticipated late-afternoon showers. Central must then tackle league co-favorite Wartburg College (22-2 overall, 3-1 conference), ranked No. 25, Tuesday in Pella.

“We knew when we saw the schedule that this week was going to be like this,” Wares said. “But we’re halfway through at 3-1 and we’ll keep taking them one at a time.”