Afton Nelson April 19, 2009

Central blanks Coe for key sweep

PELLA—Central College forced its way back into the Iowa Conference softball title hunt with a 5-0, 1-0 whitewashing of Coe College Sunday.

The sweep moves the No. 5-rated Dutch (30-4 overall) into second place in the league at 11-3, trailing only Wartburg, at 10-2. Coe (26-10 overall) had entered the weekend tied for the conference lead but now stands 8-4. Central has one league doubleheader remaining, at Loras College in Dubuque Tuesday at 3 p.m. Wartburg has four games left.

The Dutch had dropped seven straight games against Coe, last winning in 2006. It was their first doubleheader sweep of the Kohawks since 2001.

Pitchers Kiley Lythberg (sophomore, Mount Prospect, Ill.) and Megan Swingen (senior, Woden, Woden-Crystal Lake HS) were the difference once again, posting back-to-back shutouts for the third time this season. They’ve combined to give Central a 1.18 team earned run average. Lythberg (13-2) scattered five hits in the opener, walking one and striking out four. Swingen (13-1) pitched 6.2 innings of one-hit ball in the second game, walking three and striking out five. Lythberg got the final out for her third save.

t was a pitcher’s day as powerful northwest winds blew in from left field.

“Kiley was really sharp,” coach George Wares said. “And Megan’s doing what we hoped she would as a senior and she’s doing it against quality teams. We’ve got two players pitching well right now, which is a good sign for down the road.”

Swingen matcher her highest season wins total. She was 13-6 as a freshman in 2006. She’s 11th on Central’s career victories chart with a 45-20 record.

Central was limited to just three hits in the first game but the opening inning proved pivotal. Coe freshman standout Ashlee Simon had some uncharacteristic control problems, walking the first two hitters. Left fielder Hannah Weindruch (senior, Bettendorf, Pleasant Valley HS) then beat out a bunt single, first baseman Katie Tenboer (sophomore, Morrison, Ill.) drove in a run with a bloop single to right field and designated player Rachael Everingham (freshman, Georgetown, Ill., Ridge Farm HS) lined a two-run double to right-center, making it 3-0 Central before an out was recorded. The Dutch scored another run on a force out, then made it 5-0 in the second inning when second baseman Angela Davis (freshman, West Des Moines, Valley HS) cracked her second home run, a solo shot to right field. That proved more than enough for Lythberg and the Dutch defense.

Angela DavisCentral had seven hits in the nightcap but the game’s only run came in the fourth inning. Following Everingham’s lead-off single, pinch-runner Rachel Whiteside (sophomore, Sheffield, Ill., Bureau Valley HS) scampered home on a double to center field by Alysha Overturf (senior, Bettendorf, Pleasant Valley HS).

Everingham had three of Central’s 10 hits for the day.

“Rachael’s a hitter,” Wares said. “She can look bad in one at bat but comes back strong the next time. She just competes.”

Third baseman Afton Nelson (junior, Bettendorf, Pleasant Valley HS) had a single in the second game for her 99th career hit and is a hit away from becoming the 32nd player in school history to reach the 100 mark.

Overturf came up big again defensively in center field. She ended Coe’s best scoring threat in the fifth inning of the opener. Kohawk pinch-runner Erica Smothers was trying to score from second on a base hit but Overturf fired a strike to the plate for the out. And in the first inning of the second game, Coe made a bid to break on top as clean-up hitter Amy Hanse lined a shot to the right-center field gap with a runner aboard, but Overturf took away an extra-base hit with by making the full-speed grab.

“We were pretty sharp defensively,” Wares said. “The catch Alysha made was phenomenal. If they go up 1-0 there, that changes the whole complexion of the game.”

The sweep gives Central its 20th 30-win season and its first since going 33-13 in 2006.  The Dutch head to Dubuque Tuesday needing a sweep to stay in the conference race but will have to get past upset-minded Loras College. The Duhawks (12-12 overall, 3-7 conference) split a doubleheader with No. 4-rated Luther College Saturday.

“We have to be ready to give a good performance,” Wares said. “If we can get a sweep we know we’ll at least get second place.”